The Old House

Details

WINDERMERE

781/0/10010 TROUTBECK BRIDGE 30-MAR-06 The Old House

II House. C17 or earlier with later remodelling, alterations and additions. Stone rubble rendered and painted under pitched roofs with Westmorland slate coverings. Chimney stacks to south gable and north end of earliest range. PLAN: L-shaped with stair turret, earliest range aligned north-south. EXTERIOR: FRONT (south) ELEVATION: gable end of north-south range is rendered and plain with the exception of a large ground floor casement window and small casement window above and to the right. South elevation of east-west range contains the main doorway incorporating a heavy studded double oak door within a projecting porch and with a small casement window to the right. All of the windows have continuous drip moulds. SIDE (west) ELEVATION: 2 storeys with 2 bays. 2 ground floor casement windows with 2 similar windows above. Slate drip mould over ground floor. SIDE (east) ELEVATION: gable end of east-west range with buttress either side of a single casement ground floor window with 2 similar windows above and a continuous drip mould. At the angle between the 2 ranges is a square stair turret under a pitched roof of slate. There are single casements to both the ground and first floor. A C20 porch protects the entrance to the stair turret. INTERIOR: the earlier range contains a single ground floor room displaying exposed beams and rafters, many with chamfer stops. All of the walls, except the rear, have expanses of small-square oak panelling affixed. The hearth on the north wall has a modern inset; there is a 16th or 17th century wooden fire surround and an intricately carved and inlaid over mantle: this contains a wide range of decorative features including geometric strapwork, flower motifs and plain banded and guilloche decoration, in addition to the upper half of three figures, or terms, placed upon decorated columns. A rectangular recess to the left may represent the location of the original spice cupboard. Carved wooden spice cupboard door is now on the opposite wall decorated with simple flower motifs; it carries the initials I D A and the date 1690. Panelled window seat on opposing wall. The main first floor room of the earlier range is divided, by a series of relocated five row panels with decorative strapwork frieze, into a narrow hallway with a main bedroom to right and a small bathroom at the end. The bedroom has a fire breast on the north wall and exposed beams and rafters with chamfer stops and mortices. There are oak floorboards throughought the first floor. The ground floor of the suggested later range contains a kitchen with exposed rafters, one panelled wall and a main entrance with heavy oak studded door on strap hinges. The first floor of this range is divided into two rooms, one of which has panelled fitted cupboards. The stair turret to the north contains a wooden open well staircase with elaborately turned balusters, moulded handrail and unusual decorated square newels. Eclectic collection of door and window fittings and furniture throughout. Roof is carried on pegged queen strut trusses supporting 2 tiers of purlins. HISTORY: The house may have evolved from a simple, 2 bay north-south range in the local vernacular style with a hearth and main entrance in gable end, with separate stair, possibly a stone newel, appended to the north east. Subsequently, a 2 storey east-west range was constructed and the original stair was probably replaced by the existing elaborate timber open-well staircase. The cottages which are appended to the north end of the original range are of C18 century date. Internally, much of the panelling, the fireplace, over mantle and staircase are early features, of probable 17th century date which may have been relocated. There is some evidence in the eclectic range of window and door fittings and the nature of some of the panelling of an Arts and Crafts influence during the mid to late 19th century. SOURCES: Traditional Buildings and Life in The Lake District 1991 Susan Denyer

The Old House, Troutbeck Bridge is of special architectural interest as a C17 house representing the distinctive vernacular building traditions of the region. It retains clear evidence for its early plan and its subsequent phased evolution, and an interior with a range of high quality decorated oak features including fireplace and overmantle, staircase, panelling and spice cupboard.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

493442

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Denyer, S, Traditional Buildings and Life in The Lake District, (1991)

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.