Music Room

LANCASTER

SD4761NE SUN STREET 1685-1/7/308 (West side) 22/12/53 Music Room

GV II*

Garden pavilion, now shop and flat. c1730, extensively restored in the early 1970s after falling into dereliction. Sandstone ashlar with rubble to sides and rear and with a slate roof behind a parapet. The facade is tall and narrow, of 3 storeys and 3 bays with a wider central bay. The 2 lower storeys have fluted pilasters, Ionic on the ground floor and Corinthian on the 1st floor, carrying entablatures. The attic storey has panelled pilasters, and a cornice below a balustrade. The central first floor glazing bar sash has a moulded surround with a swan-necked pediment supported on brackets and with a central urn, on either side are similar sashes in plain surrounds. Above three 9-pane smaller sashes, the central one with a moulded surround. On the ground floor the outer bays have doorways with architraves. Above each is a round-headed window with moulded imposts. The wide central round-arched opening is now glazed and has moulded imposts, a mask keystone, and scrollwork spandrel decoration. INTERIOR: the principal room, on the first floor, has very richly decorated plasterwork walls and ceiling of c1730. Above the fireplace is the god Apollo with his lyre. To each side are plaster panels with central medallion heads depicting the Muses, a motif which is repeated on the other walls. Above a heavy cornice the ceiling has Ceres surrounded by garlands of fruit and flowers and medallions bearing portraits of Roman emperors. HISTORY: probably built by Oliver Marton Senior in the garden of No.76 Church Street (qv) at some time after his purchase of the house in 1723 and before his death in 1744. The plasterwork has been attributed to Francesco Vassalli because of the similarity of the medallion heads to ones he is known to have executed at Towneley Hall in 1729-30. Restored and converted by the Landmark Trust. (Beard G: Decorative Plasterwork in Great Britain: London: 1975-: 57).

Listing NGR: SD4752361763