Kelly House

Details

SX 38 SE KELLY KELLY

5/78 Kelly House - 14.6.52 GV I

House. The main west block of 1742 to 1745 by Abraham Rundle of Tavistock is linked to the remains of the C16 and C17 house which was used as an east service wing after 1742. East wing C16 and C17. Rendered stone with slate roof gabled at right end and hipped to the front over the porch at the left, stone dressings. Massive lateral projecting stone stack; 1 rendered stack on ridge with a pair of diagonally-set shafts; second stack on ridge with a pair of axial shafts. a 4-bay block in the centre has an early to mid C16 roof and may have been an open hall associated with the rear lateral stack with an inner room to the right. The floor may have been inserted in the C17 when the house was refenestrated. Also of the C17 is the 2- storey porch, the lower end of the house was probably dismantled in 1742 to 1745 when the old house was adapted as a service wing. In the C19 the first floor was refenestrated with timber mullioned windows probably preserving the C17 apertures. 2 storey. 1 + 2-window front with a 2 storey projecting porch on the front at the left. 2 To the right of the central hall block the front is slightly advanced under a sloping slate roof, probably indicating a demolished wing. Round-headed C17 ashlar porch doorway with voussoirs, keystones, and the arch supported on square-capitals. Ground floor window to right of porch is a 6-light C17 stone mullioned window with 8 square leaded panes per light and 2 casements. Similar window to the right has a more prominent king mullion. 3-light C19 timber mullioned window above porch doorway has 10-panes per light. Similar 8-light window to right of porch has 12-panes per light; similar 6-light window, 12-panes per light above inner room. Interior 3 moulded arched brace trusses with principals with curved feet and 3-tiers of moulded stopped purlins. To the front of the house the principals have been truncated above the lower tier of purlins, presumably when the first floor was fenestrated, leaving only 2-tiers of purlins. Massive ground floor fireplace to the rear lateral stack has applied C19 lintel and jambs and was probably adapted when the room was used as a kitchen. C17 panelling intact. 1 C17 granite moulded fireplace to chamber above inner room. West wing: A classical house of 1742-45 by Abraham Rundle, built at a cost of £250. Stucco blocked out over stone rubble or brick. Hipped slate roof with central valley and 4 stone stacks on ridge. The plan is of 5 rooms around a rear central stair hall. The position of the original main entrance is puzzling. It may have been on the west front leading through the hall into the stair hall, but the present west front has only a modest garden entrance. In the late C19 a porch and butler's passage were added on the east, the porch leading directly into the great parlour and the passage leading to the service rooms. 2 storeys. 5-bay symmetrical garden (west) front with plinth, platband, rusticated quoins and eaves cornice above dentil frieze. The central 3 bays are slightly advanced below a pediment with dentil frieze and keyed oculus. Steps up to modestly-scaled central doorway of pilasters and entablature with triglyth frieze. First floor window above doorway has a moulded eared architectrave with a moulded keystone. Other windows plain with keystones, C19 horned sashes throughout. Venetian stair window with central sash with margin glazing on east wall, the flanking lights set within heavy pilasters supporting an entablature, the central light with round-arch and keystone. The late C19 porch on the east wall at the left is in a sympathetic style with a pedimented gable, quoins and a platband. 2 leaf panelled door below a round-headed fanlight with glazing bars and stained glass. Round-headed sash window with margin glazing to left return of porch, 2 similar windows to butler's passage. Interior A remarkably complete 1742-45 interior with all joinery, fireplaces and cornices intact. The stair hall is especially fine with an internal broken pediment to the stair window with a plaster cherubim above, a painted decorated plaster ceiling and a dog leg stair with panelled dado, ramped handrail, barley sugar balusters and fluted newels. 1 upstairs room retains some of what is probably a C18 colour scheme of grey and pink on the panelling. The first floor room above the former servants' hall has a variety of C17 panelling probably reused from the old house. In 1877 a partition wall between the common parlour and a closet was removed, and in 1877 a 2-bay 2-storey organ room was added to the north of the house. A circa late C18 painting shows the main entrance on the south side but this may never have been executed. The Kelly archive preserves an estimate for work to be done dated 1742, a memo of work to be done dated 1743 and 4 accounts for masons', architects', glaziers', plasterers' and carpenters' work dated 1742-45. Abraham Rundle leased one of the Kelly houses in the parish from A Kelly in 1746 and 1753. The Kelly Archive, E 4/7-9, EL 3/46, EL 3/42. The Kellys were established at Kelly at the Conquest, being decended from Motbert, who held the manor in 1086, and still live at Kelly House. The survival of an important early to mid C16 roof in the east wing, and the quality and completeness of the C18 interior make this an outstanding building.

Listing NGR: SX3943181407

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

92325

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LBS

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