Description

STOKENHAM SX74SE Molescombe House 7/167 26.1.67 GV II

House. C17 or earlier origin, extended in C17 and remodelled partly rebuilt in C18. Local slate rubble, right hand south end is slate hung. Asbestos tile mansard roof with large natural slates over the end gables and with sprocketed eaves with moulded wooden cornices. Short stone rubble gable end and axial stacks with slate weathering, the axial stack with C20 brick shaft. Tall stone rubble lateral stack at back with weathered cap. Plan and development: 3-room plan main range with an entrance/stairhall between the centre and right hand room. The right hand room has a lateral stack at the back, the centre room is heated from an axial stack on its left side and the lower left hand room was the kitchen heated from a gable end stack. Behind the lower left end there is a 2-storey kitchen wing with a large axial stack backing onto the main range and a smaller unheated room at the end. The rear wing is C17 and probably an addition to the main front range which itself appears to be a substantial C18 remodelling, if not an entire rebuilding of an earlier, possibly pre-C17, range, the traditional plan of which has not been completely abandoned but which seems to have been realigned on a slightly different axis. There might have been an intermediate C17 phase on the rebuilding of the front range. The partition has been recently removed which formerly provided an axial passage at the back of the centre room connecting the lower left end room with the stairhall. Apart from this, very few alterations have been made to the house since the C18. Exterior: 3 storeys. Asymmetrical 5-window west front, blocked to right and left of centre on first and second floors. C18 or C19 16-pane sashes in segmented stone with arch openings with slate sills, those on right are tripartite sashes with margin lights; some of the windows have been restored. Doorway to right of centre with round arch, semi-circular gaslight with later baluster-type spokes and C18 fielded panel door. Another doorway to left of centre with segmental stone arch and C20 French casement. Right hand (south) end is slate hung and has C18 or C19 16-pane sash on ground and first floor and 12-pane sash on second floor, all with slate sills. At the rear the centre breaks forward in 2 stages, each with very tall C18 mullion-transom stair window with glazing bars. Lower 2 storey wing to right with hipped slate roof and early created ridge tiles. 2 small windows on end and side each have ovolo-moulded timber lintels with bar stops. C19 and C20 2 and 3-light casements with glazing bars. The right hand (north) side of rear wing is plastered and has C19 and C20 casements with glazing bars and doorway with plank door and glazed porch. Interior: Rear wing: Kitchen has closely-spaced chamfered cross-beams with bar stops, large fireplace with cambered dressed slate arch and C17 studded plank door with scratch moulding, wrought-iron hinges and drop handle. Former dairy has later thin chamfered beams. Roof space of rear wing is not accessible but feet of straight principals are visible. Main range: Kitchen at north end has large fireplace with large chamfered slate-on-edge lintel and brick-lined bread-oven with stone surround on right side and circular recess on left side which might have originally contained a newel stair. Small central room (dining room now) has C18 chimneypiece, imported early C19 grate and china cupboard with shaped shelves. Right hand (drawing) room has early C18 moulded plaster ceiling with moulded window panel with diamond-shape cresting, moulded cornice and vases of flower in the corners; imported bolection moulded chimneypiece and flanking china-cupboards with shaped shelves. C18 open-well staircase up to second floor with moulded string, turned balusters and moulded handrail ramped up to column newels and Chinese Chippendale balustrades across stair window. Ground floor has fielded 6-panel doors and first and second floors have almost complete set of C18 chimneypieces and 2-panel doors and 2-panel cupboard doors some with hanging pegs inside. Most of the panelled window shutters on the ground floor survive. The roof over the main range is of mansard construction, its C18 principals have pegged halved joints and saddles. Note: Molescombe was the seat of the Wakehams in the C18.

Listing NGR: SX7825141885

External Links

• Wikidata Q26401787

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