Description

LOSTWITHIEL FORE STREET (north side), SX 15 NW Lostwithiel 10/98 Edgcumbe House (formerly listed as - 18.10.49 Municipal Offices) GV II*

House, now municipal offices and library. Early C16, the original building now forming a rear wing to the front range of circa 1750, with some later alterations. C18 front of granite ashlar, with slurried slate mansard roof with stacks along centre; the rear wing is in slatestone and granite rubble with dressings. Slate roofs. Overall L-plan, with the early range on a north/south axis and facing east; re- oriented in the mid C18 with the addition of front range facing Fore Street. This relegates the original building as a back wing to the left. The C18 range is a single depth plan house, with central entrance to hall, principal room to left and right, and rear stair tower. The rear range is entered from rear left. The rear range may originally have had a wing projecting to front right and left, probably demolished in the C18, but partially incorporated into Nos 22 and 22a Fore Street (q.v.). What remains appears to be 3 rooms and through passage, with one room to left and 2 to right, the outer rooms heated by gable end stacks, and the room to right of the passage heated by rear lateral stack. The end room to right was probably a kitchen; site of original stair not clear. C18 building facing Fore Street of 2 storeys and attic on moulded plinth, 5 bays wide. Ground floor has central double doors with overlight, plain pilasters and hood on consoles, probably altered in mid C19. 2 plate-glass sashes to left and right with granite voussoirs and band course over. First floor has 15-pane sashes with voussoirs, moulded eaves cornice. 5 dormers, each with 12-pane sash and pitched roof. The rear of the main range has stair tower in coursed granite rubble with hipped mansard roof; half-glazed door at ground floor, first floor 18-pane sash with thick glazing bars, 2nd floor 12-pane sash. To the left of the stair tower, a rear addition of 2 storeys, now part of Nos 22 and 22a Fore Street (q.v.). Interior of main front range The entrance hall has C19 dado panelling, stair tower to rear with access to rear wing to rear left. Fine C18 open well stair, with turned and knopped balusters, three to each tread, moulded and ramped handrail with fluted Ionic newels, moulded string and panelled sides; rises to second floor. At ground floor to front right, the Mayor's Parlour; this has chimneypiece to rear of room, marble with eared architrave, frieze with eagles' heads and dentilled mantel. Plaster overmantel in eared architrave. Cornice with modillions and acanthus. Fielded panelling with egg and dart mouldings and dado rail. Fine plasterwork to ceiling. 6-panelled door with LH hinges, in architrave with egg and dart mouldings, pulvinated frieze and pediment on consoles with acorns. Front left room at ground floor has chimneypiece to rear with eared architrave and goat's head on frieze, mantel on consoles. Panelled walls and dado rail, moulded plaster cornice. At first floor, room to front right is the Clerk's Room; chimneypiece to rear with Greek key frieze below mantel, marble pilasters. Plain moulded plaster cornice and panelled shutters to windows. There are 3 rooms along the front, all with 6-panelled fielded doors. The front-left room has chimneypiece with marble surround and moulded mantel, plaster over-mantel; moulded plaster cornice. Small central room has similar cornice. At second floor, 6-panelled fielded door tofront central room. Rear wing This is in 2 main ranges; to left, slightly higher roof level, with corrugated asbestos roof with gable ends and gable end stack to right in granite ashlar, with weathering and shaped top. This block is enclosed by large granite quoins to right end; the wall steps back to the quoins. The second range to right, at lower roof level, in slatestone rubble with some granite ashlar, also with granite quoins to right end, and C19 slate roof with gable ends and no stacks; this range has been much rebuilt, with wall thickness greater at ground floor than a first. Possibly used in C19 as stable/outhouse range, incorporating earlier structure of C17 or earlier. The first range is in mixed slatestone and granite rubble, with some granite ashlar; at ground floor roughly in 4 bays. From left, ground floor has former door, now blocked, probably the passage entrance, and a 4-light C20 casement with granite ashlar apron and re-used granite jambs. The second bay has projecting bay window, with settings for mullions, wide C20 window and re-used moulded granite jambs. Third bay has wide 4-centred arched chamfered doorway leading to inner C20 door with 6-pane light to left with granite lintel; wall to right rebuilt in slatestone with C20 sash, then wall breaks back to end bay to right, with granite quoins, wall stepped back at first floor level, also with granite quoins, under the eaves, three 4-light C20 casements to right, and 3-light casement to left with cut granite jambs, with C20 light to end left. The rear of this range has 3-light chamfered granite window at ground floor to left, and remains of 2 granite window surrounds at first floor; the wall is stepped back at first floor level, with a straight joint to the left of the ground floor window. The second range has central loading door with 2-light casement to right and left under eaves; at ground floor, 3 doors, the central one with window inserted, 2 to right with splayed granite lintels, to left with re-used moulded granite string course. The stonework is much rebuilt. Interior of early back range has been much altered by C19 and C20 partition walls, so that the original plan is not clear; there appears to be a passage, with one room to left, probably originally heated by gable end stack, and two rooms to right, the inner one heated by rear lateral stack and the outer one by the gable end stack which remains. The room to left has two 3 light granite chamfered windows to rear, with chamfered mullions and some lattice glazing remaining. The remains of a 4- centred arched doorway are concealed by a cupboard on the front wall, and there is a corresponding window, formerly door, on the rear wall. The room to right of the passage has a rear fireplace, with flat chamfered lintel, and recess to left, with 2-centred arched hollow-chamfered surround, with a drain, of uncertain function, probably a laver. The front window of the room has a wide granite cill, with 3 circular holes, possibly a cream shelf, but of uncertain function. The end room to right has the front bay window, and gable end fireplace with wide chamfered segmental arch and former oven to left. There is a keeping hole to the right of the fireplace and in the front wall, and in the rear wall are a range of recesses of uncertain function, one with central mullion, and one with round granite head. Stair boxed in to rear left of room. On the formerly external wall, now inside the later range, are the weatherings from the granite stack.

Listing NGR: SX1035859816

External Links

• Wikidata Q17531551

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Recommended Books

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings