Summary
House, with former stable and coach house to the north-west. Built in the early C19 with mid-C19 alterations and additions.
Reasons for Designation
Brackenside, Bucks Cross, North Devon, an early C19 villa, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a good example of a well-composed early-C19 house and former stable and coach house;
* the house retains a significant proportion of its C19 fixtures and fittings including good quality joinery such as staircases, doors, architraves and shutters;
* the plan of the house, including the division between the former principal and service rooms, is clearly legible.
Group value
* with the Church of St Anne (Grade II).
History
Brackenside is an early C19 villa, then known as Buckish House, in Bucks Cross in the parish of Woolfardisworthy on the north coast of Devon. The house has associations with the Loggin family (who inherited the Manor of Buckish from the Cole family in 1802), and the Cary-Elwes family. It appears from the available records that the house was built in the 1820s, and may stand on the site of an earlier building. The tithe map of the parish of Woolfardisworhy (1840) records William Cole Loggin as the owner, and depicts a roughly rectangular building, with the main approach to the south-east, and two small wings to the north-west, as well as an L-shaped range of outbuildings and a smaller rectangular building. In 1842 the house was advertised as a six bedroom house with a full complement of principal and service rooms, a four-stalled stable and coach house, outbuildings and a walled garden, all within large grounds.
In the 1850s the house became known as Walland House and was owned by Jane Marianne Elwes. Mrs Elwes funded the building of a school house, teacher’s residence and a new parish church within Bucks Cross. She also built a new house for herself and gave Walland House over to be used as the vicarage. The house became known as St Anne’s Vicarage, and the Church of St Anne (Grade II), built 250m to the east, was consecrated in 1861. There are conflicting accounts about the extent of alteration that occurred to the building at this time. When the Manor of Buckish was sold in 1857 the vicarage was described as a newly erected residence. However, a news article in 1861 states that the conversion to a vicarage involved the addition of rooms and improvements to the grounds, and this account accords with the surviving building fabric.
The house appears on the 1886 Ordnance Survey (OS) map with a footprint which largely conforms to the current arrangement (2017). It had been reoriented, with the entrance and main approach moved to the south-west elevation, and a porch added. To the east a network of paths connected the house with the church. A north wing had also been added to the stable range. The roof was re-slated in the C20.
Details
House, with former stable and coach house to the north-west. Built in the early C19 with mid-C19 alterations and additions.
MATERIALS: rendered stone with stone dressings and stucco detailing, and a hipped slate roof. Brick additions.
PLAN: a rectangular footprint orientated south-west to north-east.
EXTERIOR: a two-storey, detached house with a hipped roof and three brick stacks. It has a string course to the south-west and south-east elevation. The front (south-west) elevation has a pair of two-light, six pane windows on both floors of the central bays. To the right is a mid-C19, off-centre, pitched-roof, entrance porch with a coped gable and a central raised shield motif, possibly depicting the Cary-Elwes family coat of arms. To the left is a lateral chimney stack. The south-east elevation has three bays. The ground floor consists of a mid-C19 projecting square bay topped by a small pediment and containing a sixteen-pane window; to the right is a six-pane and a twelve-pane window. On the first floor are two, nine-pane, three-light windows flanking a central six-pane two–light window. The north-east elevation has, at the left end, a three-light window on the ground floor and an eight-over-eight box sash above. At the right end the main building steps back. There is a single-storey pitched-roof infill with blocked openings at ground-floor level. Behind is the setback first-floor of the main house with an eight-over-eight box sash. To the north-west is a symmetrical three-bay elevation. At the centre is a four-panel door with a rectangular overlight. It is flanked by eight-over-eight box sashes. The first floor contains two further sashes flanking a central six-pane window. To the right is a small fragment of wall.
INTERIOR: the south-west entrance opens into a heated room with coloured floor tiles. Two internal doors lead to the main central hall to the south-east and the service rooms to the north-west. The principal reception rooms are located at the south-east end of the building, most containing chimneypieces. The box-bay window on the south-east side is supported by a modern timber frame. The rooms are arranged around a central hall containing a C19 dogleg open-string staircase with a moulded handrail, curtail step and turned balusters. On the north-west side of the building are utility rooms, including a kitchen, pantry, laundry, and a narrow staircase, arranged around a central flagstone-floor hall which contains a set of service bells. The utility rooms contain various C19 fittings, including brick and marble benches, sinks, laundry bin and fireplaces (some of which have been adapted in the C20). The main stairway leads up to the bedrooms and is lit by a large rooflight. The bedrooms contain a number of decorative timber fire surrounds. Halfway up the main staircase a small flight breaks away giving access to the west side of the house which is also accessed by the secondary dog-leg staircase. This end contains the former servants’ bedrooms which retain some chimneypieces and grates; at least one appears to have been reused. Throughout the building are six-panel doors with deep architraves, and bevelled-panel timber window shutters.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: to the north-west is an L-shaped range containing the former stable and coach house. It is constructed of rubble-stone walls, with some rendering, and slate roofs. The front elevation faces the house. The short arm has an irregular arrangement of windows and doors with timber lintels; the long arm has a large double-leaf door to the left and small doors and windows to the right. A mid-C19 rear wing, of lesser interest, projects to the north and consists of a double and single-storey structure. The earlier L-shaped range has a collar-tie roof, while the later rear wing has a king post truss roof. The former stable and coach house contribute to the special interest of the principal building and are included in the listing.
