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Summary

Built in the 1780s, Wadstray House has been used at different times as a farmhouse, family house and guest house. Possibly built on the site of an earlier house.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1108022: WADSTRAY HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SW/77
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 99808

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XVIII to XXI - 1701 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

O'Shea, I., 1997, Wadstray House: A History (Pamphlet). SDV167348.

Wadstray House. Built in the 1780s, it has been used at different times as a farmhouse, family house and guest house. Possibly built on the site of an earlier house, as in the present kitchen (previously the dairy) there is an old well, constructed with curved stone walls which finish some way below the present floor level. There are 2 brick arches which could have been put in to support a new floor at a higher level, which suggests that the well was originally in an older building and incorporated into the 18c house. This was described in an advertisement of 1811 as consisting of a drawing room, dining room, kitchen with house dairy and other conveniences on the ground floor, and 6 bedrooms on the 2nd floor, with attics above. The grounds contained a large lawn, an orchard, and gardens - one of which was walled, containing a greenhouse and fishpond. In 1879 a conveyance describes the house and gardens as a dwelling with gardener's cottage, pound and poundhouse, gighouse , stabling and other outbuildings, together with a lawn, 2 orchards, walled and flower gardens and plantations. A 2 storey extension was added to the w side of the house between 1903 - 1933, and in the early 20c the dairy and kitchen were converted to a kitchen and dining room. The cottage used to be connected to the main house by an enclosed passage, but is now a separate unit, while some outbuildings have been converted into a dwelling and others have fallen into disrepair.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Historic England, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV358087.

Small country house. Circa 1800, extended in circa early C20. Rendered stone. Slate hipped roof with modillion eaves cornice. Tall rendered stack to left and lateral stacks at rear. Plan: Double depth plan with 2 principal rooms at the front and a central entrance hall room. The third principal room is situated behind the right hand room and the kitchen is behind the stair well. In circa early C20 a 1- room plan extension was built on the left side of the house and a verandah added across the front. Exterior: 2 storeys, 1:3 window south front. The left hand 1 window bay is the circa early C20 addition. The symmetrical 3 windows to the right has 2 2-storey bows of 3-lights with bowed sashes with glazing bars, the first floor sashes have been replaced and the ground floor central sashes of each bow replaced by a French window. The central first floor sash is also a C20 replacement. Central doorway has a good arcades with Tuscan engaged columns and open pediment with semi-circular traceried fanlight and panelled reveals; the glazed door is C20. The later extension to the left has a French window on the ground floor and 12-pane sash above. Across the whole of the front a circa early C20 verandah on wooden posts. Rear elevation and sides were not inspected. Interior: Most of the original joinery appears to be intact including panelled doors etc. and the moulded plaster cornices remain in most of the rooms and hall. In the hall the floor is paved in limestone. The hall has an elliptical arch and screen with semi-circular traceried fanlight. The open well staircase has a moulded mahogany handrail ramped up to column newels and wreathed over the curtail newel, the open string has cut tread ends. The front right hand room has a moulded cornice and carved wooden chimneypiece with console brackets - possibly on C20 replacement. The smaller front left hand room has a C20 chimneypiece and is lined in late C2O bookshelves but the moulded cornice survives behind. The rear right hand room has a chimneypiece with an eared architrave an dentilled cornice.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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