See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

House, now restaurant and offices with accommodation above, built in 1736 and renovated in 1979. Three storeys, symmetrical five-window front with central doorway, and one of the best 18th century interiors of any Devon town house.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1197496: THE MANSION HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SE/149
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 387286

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Built, XVIII - 1736 AD to 1736 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1855-1895, First Edition 1:500 Town Map (Cartographic). SDV338879.

Map object based on this source.

Department of Environment, 1972, Dartmouth, 28 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV155627.

Devon County Council, 1975, Dartmouth - Walk about in the Conservation Area & Exploring Dartmouth and Kingswear, 37 (Article in Monograph). SDV352452.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1979, SX85SE26 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV341347.

Bluesky, 2006 - 2007, Bluesky aerial photographs 2006 - 2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV341189.

Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Map object based on this source.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

House, now restaurant and offices with accommodation above built in 1736 for Captain Edward Ashe and renovated in 1979. Stone rubble, plastered on the front which may be brick or have brick dressings; end and rear stacks with 19th century brick chimneyshafts; slate roof. Plan: Double-depth, 2 rooms wide with central entrance hall and rear stairhall. Exterior: 3 storeys; symmetrical 5-window front. Plastered front is lightly blocked out as ashlar. Central doorway and ground-floor windows are all round-headed with moulded stucco architraves with triple keystones. Doorway emphasised by side lights (8-pane sashes) with channelled rustication below and moulded cornices above; it contains a fielded 10-panel door and fanlight with radial pattern of glazing bars. Ground-floor windows have round-headed 18-pane sashes with top radial glazing bars. Plat band at first-floor level. First floor with 19th century horned 8 pane sashes with unusual horizontal panes (left 2 are blind), and second floor has 19th century horned 4-pane sashes. Plain eaves to parallel roof hipped both ends. Interior: One of the best 18th century interiors of any Devon town house. Principal rooms with excellent moulded plasterwork. Entrance hall with ornamental ceiling and modillion cornice. Round-headed arch to the stairhall flanked by large Corinthian pilasters. Large top-lit open-well stair; open string with carved stair brackets, turned newel posts and 3 turned balusters with blocks to each tread, moulded flat handrail and curtail step. First-floor level richly embellished with plasterwork featuring an arcade containing panels representing the 12 labours of Hercules, and roundels over the doorways containing male and female busts; Vitruvian frieze at second-floor level with linked roundels above containing the signs of the zodiac, vaulted ceiling to the skylight with pointed-arch panels springing from corbels fashioned as heads. Stair rises from first to second floor alongside, and to left of, the grand stairhall with a less-elaborate balustrade, but a second-floor gallery in the same style as the lower stair connects across the front of the stairhall. Principal room first-floor right is particularly fine and completely original except for the 19th century marble chimneypiece. Fireplace flanked by shell headed alcoves above moulded dado, panelled pilasters and moulded architrave with heads on the keystones and swags; 2 more at the opposite end flanking wide doorway through to the smaller end room, soffit of segmental arch enriched with plasterwork. Modillion cornice and fine theme ceiling of ornamental plasterwork featuring Hercules being welcomed to Paradise by the pantheon of classical gods. Smaller connecting room and room below have original fielded panelling in 2 heights, the lower room with fluted Ionic pilasters flanking the fireplace and 2 more shell alcoves with cherub head keyblocks. Other good original details around the building include fielded-panel doors, eared architraves and moulded cornices. Roof not inspected. Well-preserved town house containing exceptionally high quality craftsmanship. The plasterwork has parallels at The Old Custom House (1739) on Bayards Cove, and The Priory, Totnes. (Freeman, Ray: Dartmouth and its Neighbours: Phillimore: 1990-: p124/p136).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.