The Dower House is a Grade II listed building in the South Derbyshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 11 March 1987. House. 2 related planning applications.

The Dower House

WRENN ID
fading-paling-nettle
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
South Derbyshire
Constituency
South Derbyshire MP: Samantha Niblett (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
11 March 1987
Type
House
Address
The Dower House, Church Close, Melbourne
OS grid reference
SK 388 249
Coordinates
52.82099, -1.42501
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Dower House is a house built in 1829, with later alterations from the late 19th century and a 20th-century addition. It is constructed of ashlar stone and features a hipped slate roof with an ashlar ridge stack and a moulded eaves cornice. The house has two storeys and four bays, along with a 20th-century addition to the west.

On the south elevation, there is a glazing bar sash window to the west and an advanced bay window to the east, which includes double glazed doors at the front with narrow flanking sidelights, as well as a moulded cornice with a blocking course above. To the west, there are two full-height windows with 20th-century glazed doors, and above these are four glazing bar sash windows. The western addition also features glazing bar sashes.

The east elevation has an off-centre pilastered doorcase with a panelled door, flanked by narrow sidelights and topped with a moulded cornice supported by carved consoles. A rear window has a datestone above it inscribed with 'I E 1829'. Inside, the central room contains an early 19th-century marble fireplace with reeded jambs and carved roundels in the top corners, while the staircase is from the late 19th century.

Local climate

The Dower House sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 77% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 72% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 37 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 69% of listed buildings. Of these, 18 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • Related listed building consents — 2 applications
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Dower House Cottage and Attached Outbuildings Grade II 25 m
  2. Tithe Barn Grade II* 26 m
  3. Vale House Grade II 39 m
  4. Tithe Cottage Grade II 55 m
  5. Church of St Michael and St Mary Grade I 57 m
  6. Close House Grade II 63 m
  7. Number 62 and Attached Smithy Grade II 68 m
  8. Chantry House and Attached Outbuildings Grade II 82 m
  9. St Michaels Vicarage Grade II 83 m
  10. Surgery and Attached Range of Outbuildings to North of Close House Grade II 84 m