Boringdon House

Details

PLYMOUTH

SX55NW BORINGDON HILL, Plympton, Boringdon 740-1/6/531 Boringdon Hall 20/02/52 (Formerly Listed as: BORINGDON HILL, Plympton Boringdon House)

GV I

Great house. Medieval origins, the present structure predominantly C17 but containing some C16 detail, and, following a period of neglect, partly rebuilt late C20. MATERIALS: coursed rubble walls to principal elevations, otherwise rubble, all with granite dressings; some slatehanging above hall; steep dry slate gabled roofs including pyramidal roof to entrance tower; embattled parapets with beaded cornices to part of front roof; moulded parapet entablature to tower left of front; coped gables and dressed stone lateral stacks, some of which are outbuilt, and corner stacks to entrance tower, all with moulded cornices. PLAN: large irregular plan probably with E-shaped front in the C17 but mostly rebuilt to right of central entrance tower; small stair wing at rear of passage; large hall left of entrance and large later C17 stair tower projecting to front left; fairly deep wing with hipped roof at far left. EXTERIOR: tall 2-bay hall with 2 squat storeys above and flanking 4-storey towers; large stair tower left of this and partly rebuilt 4-window-range wing at far right, now 2 storeys, originally taller. Mullioned windows with leaded glass, the principal windows with square hoodmoulds and the very large 4-light hall windows with 2 tiers of transoms. Entrance tower has very fine moulded round-arched doorway within outer order with carved arch on Tuscan nook columns flanked by projecting piers with moulded and carved entablature and containing shell niches with carved lions. Range on right contains 2 reused round-arched doorways and a large reused 4-light mullioned window. Left-hand return has 3-storey projecting gable end of main range on its right with 6-light mullioned window with 2 king mullions to ground floor and 4-light windows above, all with arched lights. 2-window-range stair tower set back on right has windows at mid-floor level on its right and doorway with relieving arch on its left. Set back on the left are 2 bays with 3-light windows and surmounted by a shaped parapet. At far left is narrow, slightly projecting blind gable with blocked openings which had been made to communicate with later

wing now removed. Rear is unaltered to upper floors but the lower floors are hidden by a C20 lean-to. INTERIOR: retains some good features of interest despite a long period of neglect prior to its repair and restoration, these include: C16 4-centred arched doorway with hoodmould into hall from passage; massive hall chimneypiece dated 1640 and with initials C R, with strapwork and Royal Arms flanked by caryatids of Peace and Plenty, and there is a ribbed plaster ceiling with trailing detail and moulded cornices between ceiling beams with richly carved plaster detail. The staircases are restored but incorporate some original C17 oak fragments from the original staircases. There are several other good moulded and carved stone doorways and some stone fireplaces, at least one with richly carved detail. HISTORY: the house was acquired by the Parkers in 1582 from the Duke of Suffolk, father of Lady Jane Grey. The Parkers went to live at Saltram, Merafield Road (qv) in the mid C18. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1989-; Country Life: 20/06/1914).



Listing NGR: SX5393157780

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

473204

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Devon, (1989)
Country Life in 20 June, (1914)

End of official list entry

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