Colton House

Colton House is a house dating to circa 1730, situated on Bellamour Way in Colton. The main block is two storeys and an attic, with lower two-storey flanking wings. It is constructed of red brick in a Flemish bond, with painted plaster dressings, hipped plain tile roofs and brick ridge stacks. The facade features rusticated quoins and coved eaves, with a five-window front. It has twelve-pane sashes with moulded sills, exposed sash boxes and shaped plaster lintels with raised keys; the central first floor window has a moulded plaster surround. Three attic dormers with flat roofs have been inserted. A central six-panel door is accessed by a flight of steps and is flanked by Doric pilasters, an open pediment and a fanlight with radiating glazing bars. Attached to the sides of the house are brick walls with stone copings, sweeping forward to terminate in square piers with ball finials. A full-height bow window of circa 1800 is located at the rear, featuring tripartite stone mullioned windows with glazing bar sashes. The interior entrance hall has a plaster cornice and a three-centred archway leading to an open-well staircase, which has an open string, carved tread ends, barley sugar twist balusters incorporating square knots, a ramped and wreathed handrail, and a panelled oak dado. A front ground floor room on the left has oak wall panelling of more than one date with a cyma recta moulded cornice and 18th century panelled window shutters. A front first floor room on the left includes an 18th century polished limestone fireplace with a wooden egg and dart moulded surround and a cast iron grate, and a plaster dentilled cornice. The front first floor room on the right also has an 18th century polished limestone fireplace with a lugged surround and a cast iron grate. The rear rooms, extended by the addition of the bow window, have 19th century decorative plaster ceilings.