Wallingwells Hall And Service Wing

Wallingwells Hall and Service Wing

Country house, now divided into 7 dwellings. Built in the early 17th century with early 18th-century and 1828 additions, and altered in 1926. The building is irregular rectangular in plan, constructed of coursed rubble, ashlar, brick and render with slate hipped roofs.

The east front is rendered overall except for the left brick bay, with ashlar dressings. The roof is hidden behind 4 ashlar coped gables. There are 7 irregularly dispersed red brick and render stacks on an ashlar chamfered plinth. The building is 2 storeys plus attic with 7 bays. A first floor sill band runs across. Each of the outer gabled bays projects and is flanked by a single projecting, embattled square turret or buttress. The gables, parapet and turrets are coped with ashlar, with an ashlar band running underneath.

The central porch dates to 1828 and features 2 slightly projecting embattled turrets both front and rear, with a shaped gable. The doorway is Tudor-style with an arched opening, double wooden panelled door under a hood mould with floret label stops and blind tracery spandrels. The inner doorway retains the remains of an early 18th-century door-head with slightly projecting hood. Either side are 3 low glazing bar sashes with similar hood moulds and label stops. A doorway with a 20th-century glazing bar door sits between the 2 outer right sashes. Above are 7 glazing bar sashes with similar hood moulds and label stops. In each gable apex is an ashlar cross pattern arrow loop.

The south front is rendered with slightly projecting ashlar quoins to the central 4 bays. An ashlar coped parapet with ashlar band runs underneath. This elevation is 2.5 storeys with 6 bays. The projecting central 4 bays are topped with a pediment. Single turrets similar to those on the east front appear at the outer edges. The outer single bays have a first floor sill band but no openings. 2 central low glazing bar sashes with ashlar surrounds and keystones are flanked by single recessed porches with similar surrounds, each containing an inner doorway with part glazed door, marginal lights and overlight. Above are 4 similar, smaller sashes on the second floor, with 4 similar, smaller sashes on the top floor.

The west front, the former entrance front, is rendered brick with ashlar quoins and ashlar coped parapet. 3 rendered stacks rise from this elevation. It is 3 storeys with 7 bays. A central recessed bay contains a large tripartite window with low glazing bar sashes under a segmental arch. To the right is a projecting wood and glazed porch with inner glazed double door and overlight. To the left is a recessed porch with outer doorway having an ashlar surround and inner doorway with part glazed door, overlight and single marginal lights. Either side are 2 glazing bar sashes in ashlar staff moulded surrounds. Above, the central bay has a central glazing bar sash flanked by single narrower similar sashes, all with similar surrounds and slightly projecting hoods. Either side are 3 similar glazing bar sashes and surrounds, with 6 similar, smaller sashes and surrounds above.

Attached to the right of the east front are 3 cottages, formerly the service wing. They are rendered with slate roof, interrupted on the left by a stone coped gable and kneeler, and coped right gable and kneeler. 4 rendered stacks rise from them. They are single storey plus attic to the right cottage, with 10 bays and irregular and altered openings.

Interior

The south-east house contains a galleried hall with a possible late 17th-century ceiling. The south-west portion retains some early 17th-century timber. There are a number of 18th and 19th-century fireplaces throughout.

Historical Context

The site was formerly a moated medieval Benedictine priory, founded in the mid-12th century and dissolved in 1539. Some remains of the medieval structure are probably incorporated in the present house. The property passed through various owners until it was purchased by Major Samuel Taylor in 1698. It remained in the Taylor and White family until 1919, when it was divided in 1926.