Bark Hill House

SJ 5441 8/36 1.5.51

WHITCHURCH URBAN C.P. BARK HILL (south-east side) No. 28 (Bark Hill House)

II

House. Circa 1680-1700, remodelled in the early to mid-C19. Rendered timber frame. Plain tile roof. 3 framed bays; central staircase plan. 2 storeys and attic. Rendered plinth, and wooden fascia with moulded gutter. Integral rendered brick end stacks. 3 gabled dormers with leaded wooden casements, two to right 2-light and one to left 3-light. 3 bays; C19 two- and 3-light wooden mullioned and transomed casements with chamfered cills and concave hoods. Central 6 panelled door (lower 2 panels beaded flush) with central beading, reeded impost band, 2-part rectangular overlight with geometrical-pattern glazing bars, reeded architrave, and porch with attenuated cast-iron barleysugar columns, tall thin reeded pilaster strips to wall and shallow gabled top. Cast-iron bootscraper to left. Rendered early to mid-C19 two-storey rear wing with boxed 16-pane glazing bar sashes and integral lateral brick stack. Interior: many fixtures and fittings of c.1700. Entrance hall with moulded plaster cornice. Oak dog-leg staircase of c.1700 with winders and half-landings, closed string, unusual double-twisted (pierced barley- sugar) balusters, moulded handrail, and square newel posts with moulded caps. Ground-floor right-hand rear room: late C17-c,1700 oak panelling with fluted frieze and moulded cornice. C17 corner fireplace with mid-C19 surround and three c.1700 bolection-moulded panels above. Right-hand rear bedroom has c.1700 fireplace with lugged architrave, frieze and moulded cornice, and late C18 cast-iron grate. Roof with collar and tie-beam trusses. Late C17 panelled door with L-hinges to left-hand front bedroom. Ground floor 6-panelled doors with moulded architraves. The facade was probably formerly of 5 bays (see beam ending above front window in right-hand ground floor room) and probably refenestrated when it was remodelled in the early to mid-C19. This is a particularly interesting example of a late use of timber framing, in a house which in all other respects (except perhaps for the staircase) is typical of its date. No. 28 Dodington (q.v.) is another example of late timber framing and both buildings may be the work of the same builder.

Listing NGR: SJ5417341249