Description

BLISLAND BLISLAND SX 17 SW 9/67 Mansion House (previously listed as Church Town Farmhouse, Marston 6.6.69 House and Ivy Dene Cottage)

GV II*

House. Circa late C16 or earlier, probably extended and partly remodelled after 1627 for Obadiah Reynolds. Datestone 1636 in first floor room. Granite rubble with large granite quoins. Renewed scantle slate roofs with gabled and hipped ends. Circa early C17 moulded granite axial and gable end stacks. Plan: Original plan uncertain. The house was converted into a series of cottages in circa C18 or C19 and converted back into 1 house and restored in the late C20. According to Maclean, the house in the circa C16 consisted of a great hall with spiral stone staircase and parlour adjoining the hall. In circa 1627 it was granted to Obadiah Reynolds who extended the house. At the end of the C18 the great embattled gateway which formed the approach was removed to Lavethan (qv). The house is arranged around a courtyard with an overall 'U' shaped plan with ranges on south, west and north and high wall on the east which partly forms the end wall to the carriage house and stables to north west of Newton House (qv). It is possible that there was a service wing on the east which has now been demolished. The ground slopes down gradually from the north to the south and east. The through passage, in the south range is roughly in line with the cross passage in the north range; the 2 passages are linked by a covered way in the courtyard under a pentice roof against the west wing. The entrance is through a rebuilt 2-storeyed porch on the south side which was probably added in circa early to mid C17 and rebuilt in late C20. South wing of 2 room and passage plan with offset rear door. Partition removed on higher west side of passage and thick wall with axial stack on lower east side. The east room was heated by this stack and there is a further room to east which appears to have been added in circa C18, possibly on the site of an earlier service range which may have continued to the north. The west room is heated by an axial stack, shared with the fireplace which heats the southern room of the west wing. The northern room of the west wing is heated by an end stack and there is a circa C18 panelled screen which divides these 2 rooms. Principal room above, probably a large first floor parlour heated by an end stack on the north. The north wing is a single storey to the north where the ground level rises and 2 storeys facing the courtyard on the south. The ground floor rooms appear to have been used as service room with a particularly large fireplace on the east gable end. The roofs above the north, west and south wings appear to be contemporary, probably of late C16 to early C17 date and although possibly slightly blackened in places, the colouring may be the result of staining rather than soot blackening. Exterior: South wing of 2 storeys with asymmetrical 3 window front. Gabled 2 storey porch to left of centre partly demolished in 1959 and rebuilt in 1970's following earlier photograph and reusing material. Porch has moulded granite gabled parapet with scroll kneelers; segmental arched granite entrance with roll mould and crosses in spandrels and 2-light mullion window above. The inner door has a granite frame with chamfered lintel and jambs with diagonal stops. To left, two 2-light mullion windows on ground floor. To right two 2-light mullion windows on ground and first floor and partly blocked door between. The right hand part may be a circa C18 extension with a definite straight joint on the front and rear walls. The gabled parapet and scrolled kneelers have probably therefore been reused. West elevation: Asymmetrical 3 window front with straight joint to right of centre between west wing and west end of south wing. West wing has two 2-light casements flanking a 6-panel door with 2 early C19 20-pane hornless sashes above. Hipped end to south wing has 3-light mullion window with hood mould and 28-pane sash above. North elevation: Gable end to north end of west wing, hipped end on right (west) of north wing and gable end on left (east). Steps up to round arched door opening which Pevsner suggest is a Norman arch. Small window opening to basement and splayed lancet window with chamfered segmental arch to first floor of north wing and in gable end of west wing, adjoining first floor fireplace. Courtyard: Lean-to pentice roof over passage between south and north wings. Well on west side. Interior: South wing; roughly cut wavy ceiling beams to south wing and in probable extension on east. Thick wall on east side of passage has 2 circa C17 granite chamfered doorframes with diagonal cut stops; similar doorway into courtyard and on north west, into west wing. The back-to-back fireplaces heating the west room of the south wing and south room of the west wing also have chamfered granite lintels and jambs with diagonal stops. Remains of circa C18 panelled screen dividing north and south rooms of west wing and altered granite fireplace to north room. The chamber above the west wing, probably used as a best parlour has a large depressed arched granite fireplace on the north with roll mould and large ball and spade stops. Plasterwork above with floral motif and date 1636. To the right of the fireplace are the remains of further plasterwork, possibly indicating the earlier existence of a C17 barrel vaulted ceiling (removed) and a tympanum-type arrangement above the fireplace. Roof structure: The south, west and north wings appear to have the remains of a late C16 to early C17 roof structure with morticed apices and dovetailed notched and lap- jointed collars. The possibly circa C18 extension on the east of the south wing has 1 truss which is halved and lap-jointed and pegged at the apex with lapped collars. At the end of the C15 the house was referred to as 'Farmers House'. In 1595 it was granted to Humphry Kempe, Jane his wife and son William for 3 lives. In 1627 it was sold to Obadiah Reynolds. Maclean, Sir J Parochial and Family History of the Deanery of Trigg Minor in the County of Cornwall, 1875 Notes on restoration by previous owner, Dr Mitchell in possession of present owners. Copy of late C17 documents relating to buildings around Blisland Green from Royal Institution Library, Truro (in possession of owners).

Listing NGR: SX1007273221

External Links

• Wikidata Q17534685

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Recommended Books

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  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
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