Stover House

Details

TEIGNGRACE STOVER PARK SX 87 SW

7/219 Stover House

GV II*

Country house, in use as school since 1932. 1776-81 for James Templer, with additions of circa 1830, possibly by Philip Hardwick for eleventh Duke of Somerset. 4 bucket heads have initials J.T. and date 1776. Haytor granite ashlar with rusticated quoins and rusticated basements with band above and stringcourse at ground floor window level. Parapet and cornice with mutules. Portland stone porte-cochere, coated slate hipped roof with lead roll hips and 4 stacks with classical pots. Almost square plan. 2 storeys, sub-basement, basement and attic. Symmetrical 1:3:1 bay north-west and south-east elevations, the centre 3 windows full height canted bays. Canted bay on south-east entrance front has round arched pilastered doorway with C19 glazed doors. A large Doric hexastyle porte-cochere was built in front of the entrance circa 1830. The centre columns are spaced to accommodate a mounting block on the stylobate, above there is a Doric entablature. The door is approached up ballustraded paved stone quadrant stairs to a landing which breaks forward; to either side a cast iron lantern topped with a ducal coronet. South-west and north-east side elevations of 4 bays. Over the centre of south-west side granite fronted attic window rises above the parapet, as also does the stair tower at the centre of the north-east side, both probably additions of circa 1830. Flat-arched window openings with plain sills : original hornless sashes except 3 lower sashes to north-west. Original 2-light casements to sub-basement with 6 panes each and ferramenta. 6-pane sashes to basement. Entrance floor has sashes of 6 panes over 6 and first floor has 3 over 6 panes. Small flat roofed dormers with glazing bars behind parapet. Stone ballustrade.to basement area. Linked to the south-west corner is a single storey office of rusticated granite with wide band below eaves of a hipped slate roof, two by one bay elevations with 6-pane hornless sash windows. Adjoining 2-storey rendered service block has sash windows within blind arcading below moulded cornice and blocking course and hipped slate roof. Interior: almost symmetrical plan with central north-south corridor reflected on all floors. Sub-basement was store and cellar, stone floored and vaulted. Basement was kitchens and service rooms with stone floors. At entrance level were the reception rooms. On the first floor were the main bedrooms and on the second floor chiefly staff accommodation. The principal floor comprises entrance hall and saloon on the east-west axis with a collonaded screen with staircases off either end of it on the north-south axis. (Main stair to the north). In the north-west and south-west corners are reception rooms with perhaps more private rooms in the opposite corners. The principal east room (entrance hall) entered from vestibule off port-cochere, has a distyle screen opposite with fluted columns, engaged responds, Adam style capitals and decorative plasterwork entablature with cornice with mutules. Round arch north and south to staircase lobbies; double doors to saloon centrally framed. Principal room (saloon) with mantlepiece of white and buff veined marble, Ionic columns with entablature blocks, dentil cornice, central panel with swagged urn and C19 grate with brass mounts. Adam style plasterwork ceiling with fluted and enriched roundel surrounded by oval necklace of small circular reliefs of garlanded profiles. Shutters to canted bay have cross-fluted panels and enriched casings. Mahogany doors north and south have architraves with vase-interlace friezes to the entablatures. The south-west room (possibly drawing room) is richly decorated : Adam style plasterwork ceiling with enriched fluted central roundel, swagged border and oval medallions of the Pascal Lamb. Strips at either end with paired gryphons. Enriched cornice and dado cornice. Marble mantlepiece with polychrome inlay, splat pilasters and fine central relief of a shepherd boy. Plasterwork overmantle with classical scene in a roundel surroundcd by wreaths and swags. The entablatures to the architraves of the two mahogany doors have friezes of flower baskets and twining wreaths. At the east end a door between 2 niches of oval plan with embellished fluted vaults. The north-west room (possibly dining room) is simpler : plasterwork ceiling in the Adam style of central rose in square frame with Templer arms in oval bay-leaf wreaths and end strips with classical relief. Marble mantlepiece with polychrome inlay has frieze of urns and paterae and C19 grate with brass mounts. Plasterwork overmantle with rectangular frame around circular classical plaque surrounded by garlands and vine swags. In the south-east corner a simple room (possibly once a library) has plasterwork overmantle and cornice. All the reception rooms have mahogany doors some with remains of original brass door furniture with swagged mounts. The main staircase is cantilevered with open string and open round-ended well; the balustrade is of wrought iron with cast embellishments and a wreathed. mahogany handrail. Adam style plasterwork ceiling cornice with paired acanthus brackets and buccrania. Buccrania friezes also to the doorcases and round classical plaques on the walls. At first floor level, round arch to central corridor of 3 bays separated by round panelled arches on pilasters with swagged consoles, the outer bays with flat ceilings, centre roses and pendentives. The middle bay has a centre ring, once open to the second floor where there must have been a circular ballustrade beneath the existing Adam style dome with swags and paterae and an oculus (now with C20 light). Much original pine flooring exists throughout the house and there are said to be some original fireplaces on the first floor. The interiors are of excellent quality. It seems possible that entrance was originally on south side and that secondary staircase projection here is later. Colvin's reference to drawing of Stover Lodge (former name) in Hardwick family collection suggests porte-cochere is by Philip Hardwick. Stover was home of James Templer (d.1782) who made his fortune completing government works in Madras and Plymouth. His son James II (lawyer) and grandson, George, built the Stover Canal and Haytor tramway respectively, both lived at Stover before purchase by eleventh duke of Somerset 1829. H Colvin, Biographical dictionary of Architects, 1978 p.389 A J Key, Stover the storey of a school, 1982.

Listing NGR: SX8384674204

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

84662

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Key, A J, Stover The Story of a School, (1982)
Colvin, H M, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840, (1978)

End of official list entry

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