Cavendish House

Details

MARKYATE HIGH STREET TL 0516 (West side) 7/166 & 8/166 Nos. 28/30 26.1.67 (Cavendish House) (Formerly listed as GV Cavendish House)

II

House or inn, now a house and shop. C16, N parlour wing and NW stair probably early C17, brick front and extensive alterations in early/mid C18, rear lean-to extensions, alterations to entrance and NW rear stairwell, twin bay windows to N wing, and lean-to conservatory on N end, mid C19. Timber frame on stuccoed plinth, roughcast but front of fine red brick in header-bond with stucco dressings. N wing cased in red brick in Flemish bond. Very steep old red tile roofs. Slated rear lean-to extensions. A 9-windows long 2-storeys range raised above a half-basement, on street front, facing E. The 2-windows N part rises higher exposing timber framing in its S gable. The remainder has a front parapet, the 2-windows southern part being set back with an arched carriageway through the S end bay, E front has a high stucco plinth with 2 stucco keystone arches to basement windows. Flush box sash windows under segmental gauged arches to ground and 1st floors. Mid C19 central half-glazed double doors in stucco surround with a man's face on the keystone (? Shakespeare) flanked by scrolled brackets. 4 steps to door between tall pedestals carrying undersized Doric columns supporting a wide projecting dentilled triangular-pedimented hood of C18 origin. Small semi-circular window over porch lights stair landing. Wide boarded double doors with wicket in carriageway with wide elliptical gauged red brick arch with stucco impost blocks and pilasters. Scrolled stucco brackets to eaves cornice of N wing, with 2 similar sash windows over twin canted bays with 1/1:2/2:1/2 panes sash windows, panelled stucco base, and flanking pilasters. Entrance to shop using bay windows, is by a half-glazed door in the white weatherboarded E end of the lean-to conservatory to N. This N wing appears to be a parlour wing and has a large projecting chimney with 2 flues central in rear wall and a gabled stair tower to rear linked to garden by a Victorian glazed passage. The main range has a gallery or 1st floor passage running outside the structural rear wall, suggesting that it was built as an inn. Timber frame exposed in carriageway and in rear wall. Gabled single-bay 2 storeys rear wing opposite front entrance has exposed timber framing with jowled posts, clasped-purlin on collar roof, and cambered gable tie-beam cut for insertion of a sash window with 8/8 panes. Painted brick infill and large N side lateral chimney with 3 flues also serving shorter gabled projection ranging with NW stair tower. The absence of a major chimney stack, the rear corner fireplaces used for the main ground floor rooms, and the jowled bay-posts flanking the present central stairwell by the front door point to a large internal chimney having been removed from this narrow central bay in the early/mid C18 alterations. The interior has a fielded panelled room over the carriageway, C18 2-panels door with H and I-L hinges, C18 closed string moulded staircase with turned balusters and square panelled newel posts. Ground floor rooms have moulded cornice, panelled dado, 2-panels moulded doors, and white marble corner fireplace surround (without shelf) and fluted keystone to stilted flat arch. Exposed timber structure shows straight braces from front and rear walls to tie-beams, side-purlin roof structure, and cased axial beams. Elaborate decorated C19 plasterwork to ceiling of entrance hall in C17 style and flamboyant large ceiling feature over NW stairwell. This also has high-relief moulded plaster leaf-scroll surround to W window with head having a framed roundel portrait said to be of Duke of Devonshire. Enriched moulded surround to N window of this staircase.

Listing NGR: TL0598816619

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

157945

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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