Pitmaston House

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 18/02/2014


SO85SW
620-1/3/428

WORCESTER
MALVERN ROAD (West side),
Pitmaston House

(Formerly listed as Pitmaston School)

05/04/71

GV II


House, offices at time of listing. c1810, with later additions and alterations including probably mid-C19 ranges to right and left. Reddish-orange brick with red sandstone and grey ashlar dressings and slate roof; tall brick clustered stacks with cornices to ends of main range. L-plan with central hallway to main range. Regency Gothic style with Victorian Gothic additions. Main range of 3 storeys, 2:1:2 first-floor windows, then range to right of 2 storeys, single bay and further 2-lower-storey single bay; single-storey, single bay to right with further lean-to conservatory.
MAIN RANGE: has 3 gables to front, that to centre is lower and narrower; ground and first floors have 6/6 sashes, that to centre of first floor is round-arched and has radial glazing bars to head, second floor has 3/6 sashes, all in near-flush frames and with hoodmoulds with label stops. Central entrance an 8-traceried-panel door in 4-centre-arched stone surround flanked by clustered columns supporting embattled entablature with quatrefoil panels on frieze. Range to right: embattled first-floor stone rectangular bay raised on piers with trefoil decoration; 6/6 sash to ground and first floors, that to first floor with quatrefoil band to apron; crowning castellation with end turrets. Far right bay breaks forwards and is blind to ground floor; first-floor 2-light casement window with hoodmould; crowing band and low parapet.
LEFT RANGE: canted stone bay has 4/4 between 2/2 pointed-arched sashes in chamfered surround and with continuous hoodmould, crowning band and parapet, between tall polygonal columns. Conservatory has stone plinth, 3 multi-paned casement windows with slender columns between and end entrance a panelled door with overlight. Left return of 3 first-floor windows: outer 2-light mullion windows and central 2-cusped-light window with rope-moulded surround with face stops, then column clusters between windows. The ground floor is occupied by the conservatory which has 10 casement windows with column clusters between. Rear has 2 shallow bays with traceried decoration and French windows with shutter box, castellated canted bay with 4/6 sashes; first-floor windows are mainly 2/2 sashes, some retain shutter boxes, oriel window. Round-arched 6/6 staircase sash with radial glazing bars to head.
INTERIOR: retains original joinery and plasterwork. Entrance hall has 4 Ionic columns and stone flagged floor; inner hall has modillion cornice. Dog-leg staircase with embellished cast-iron balusters nd wreathed handrail. 6-panel doors; panelled shutters to some windows. Some marble fireplaces, some with gothic-style details. Plasterwork includes classical scroll decoration and grapes to ceiling friezes. The room linking the hall and conservatory has a plasterwork 'tent' roof; conservatory has 4 octagonal pillars with 4-centre-headed arches and 2 octagonal light wells with ribbed vaults; cast-iron column lusters support lean-to roof; windows to conservatory have slender columns between.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Pitmaston was an ornamental nursery where hybrid fruits were developed. The extensive grounds now form a public park, bordered to Malvern Road by walls, piers, gates and gate lodge to Pitmaston House and Pitmaston Park (qv).

(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Worcestershire: Harmondsworth: 1968-1985: 335; National Monuments Record: Photographs).

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

488940

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, (1968), 335

End of official list entry

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