Bickham House

Details

BUCKLAND MONACHORUM SX 46 NE 3/119 Bickham House 30.5.77

- II

Country house. Reputedly 1876, which is stylistically appropriate. C20 additions. Walls are of dressed limestone blocks of varying sizes. Hipped slate roof with sprocketted eaves, gabled roof to rear of wings; wing at right-hand side has stepped gable at front. 2 symmetrical axial stacks to front block of dressed limestone blocks and 1 to each rear wing. Similar tall gable and stack to later wing with C20 axial stack. Plan is central block with parallel rear wings at either side. Main block has large central entrance hall with stairs at rear. Opening off this hall are 2 principal front rooms and 2 side rooms to their rear. Subsidiary rooms in the wings which in the right-hand wing were for service purposes. A further small wing was added probably in the early C20 at the rear of the right-hand wing; it was extended in the later C20. 2 storeys with attic. Symmetrical 5-window front of original 18-pane hornless sashes, the 2 first-floor left-hand windows have small blind hoods. Moulded stone architraves to windows with slightly projecting cornice to ground floor ones incorporated in a flat band running above them. At centre on the ground floor is wide segmental arch with projecting moulded imposts which elads to recessed porch. Original glazed and panelled door is divided by pilasters from similar flanking panels with 3 glazed panels above. The 3 second-floor windows are dormers of 2-light 16-pane sashes. Dentilled stone cornice below eaves which extends around the 3 principal fronts. The left-hand facade is similar but not quite symmetrical due to differing positions and widths of first floor windows and probably original 3-light ground floor bay window to the right. The right-hand facade also has slightly irregular fenestration with a central ground floor bay window which may have been inserted. Projecting from its right-hand end is the circa early C20 addition which extends to the right. At the rear later single storey additions have been built on in front occupying the space between the 2 wings. The original stair window at the rear of the main block is under a weatherboarded gable. It is of 32 panes and the top 4 lights have segmental heads. In the gable above is a circular window. Interior: The entrance hall retains its original large open well staircase with open string, fluted column newels alternate barley twist and fluted balusters and wreathed handrail. Carved tread ends. Fielded panelled dado with intermediate Ionic fluted pilasters opposite the newels. The stair window has stained glass with a leaf design in the style of William Morris. Otherwise not many original internal features survive; the majority of the fireplaces were brought in the later C20 from Maristow House in Tamerton Foliot parish (q.v.). One original first floor fireplace, however, is of an unusual design with a chimneypiece within a larger fireplace opening which has a dentilled cornice. This was built as a good quality house of a fashionable design which preserves quite well its external appearance and internal room layout.

Listing NGR: SX4959365109

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

92618

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.