Melchbourne House

Melchbourne House is a country house dating from the early 18th century, with origins in a Jacobean house built for the St John family of Bletsoe. A rainwater head displays the date 1741. The house is constructed of red brick with stone dressings, and has a slate roof. The original plan was H-shaped, with three storeys, and includes attics in two small gables to the rear, likely originating from the 17th century. A two-storey wing extends to the northeast end, and there are one-storey extensions to the rear.

The main block presents a symmetrical facade with canted side bays and a recessed centre. The window arrangement is 3:5:3, with sash windows on all floors; those on the ground floor lack glazing bars. All windows have moulded shouldered architraves, with those on the first floor featuring alternating segmental and triangular pediments. A tetrastyle Roman Doric porch shelters the central front door. The exterior is defined by horizontal bands at first-floor level and sill level, and a moulded cornice. A steep hipped roof is concealed behind a stone coped parapet. The southwest elevation has four windows' depth and features sash windows, the ground-floor ones without glazing bars, all with moulded architraves and cornices above.

The interior was extensively redecorated in 1875, featuring painted plasterwork on the main staircase ceiling, a pedimented door and carved marble chimney piece in the drawing room, and a coffered ceiling and panelling in the library. A second-floor gallery, likely of Jacobean origin, retains early 18th century pine panelling with carved doorways and chimney pieces, alongside a coved ceiling.