Ellesmere House

Ellesmere House is a house, likely dating from the early 18th century, though possibly late 17th century. It is located on the north-east side of Dodington in Whitchurch Urban. The house has a timber frame set on a high brick plinth, with brick nogging to the rear and a rendered finish to the front. The end walls are of red brick, and the roof is covered with plain tiles. It is arranged with three framed bays and a central staircase plan. The house has two storeys and a gable-lit attic. The timber framing consists of light rectangular panels, likely three from the sole plate to the wall plate. The gable ends are parapeted with moulded stone copings and shaped stone kneelers. External brick end stacks are present, the left-hand one being larger.

The front elevation has five bays with wooden cross windows. The central door has six raised and fielded panels (the upper two glazed), a moulded architrave, and carved console brackets supporting a gabled porch. Six stone steps lead up to the door, with plain wrought-iron railings. A small attic window is visible in the right-hand gable end. A late 18th-century one-storey brick lean-to is attached to the left-hand side, featuring a dentil brick eaves cornice and a slate roof, with a pair of boxed glazing bar sashes. A mid-to-late 19th-century two-storey brick wing is attached to the right.

The interior retains timber-framed cross walls with tension braces. It mainly features early 18th-century fixtures and fittings. The entrance hall is flagged, with painted raised and fielded dado panelling and a moulded plaster cornice. A dog-leg oak staircase rises to the attic, with half landings, a closed string, post-1720 column-on-vase balusters, a moulded handrail, and panelled square newel posts with double-quirked beaded corners and moulded caps. Raised and fielded dado panelling with a moulded rail is found throughout. The attic landing balustrade has vase-shaped splat balusters on two sides. Ground-floor doors feature four raised and fielded panels and moulded architraves. The left-hand ground-floor room has a chamfered ceiling beam and a large open fireplace with a chamfered wooden lintel. The right-hand ground-floor room has painted raised and fielded dado panelling with a rail, a moulded plaster cornice, a cased beam, panelled window shutters, and a segmental-headed corner buffet with shelves and doors below, all with raised and fielded panels. The attic contains old nail-studded plank and muntin doors and evidence of former dormers to the front.

A circa-1830 illustration shows the house with exposed timber framing to the front, which was likely a later alteration; it is believed the house was originally intended to be rendered. It is considered an interesting example of a late use of timber framing, integrated with brick gable ends within a house typical of its period. The house may date from the late 17th century and have undergone internal alterations in the early 18th century, although some features, like the staircase, suggest a closer date to circa 1700. There is a possibility that it shares a builder with another local timber-framed building, No. 28, Bark Hill.