Beltwood House

Beltwood House is a substantial villa standing in spacious grounds. It is a two-storey building faced largely in render over brick, with slate roofs. The house was originally built in 1848–9, and elements of this early structure are perhaps discernible in the shallow roof pitch and design of some of the chimney stacks. However, the predominant character is that of an early 20th-century house designed in the late 17th-century or 'Wrenaissance' manner with neo-classical detailing. The building has a low hipped roof with dormers and a timber modillion eaves cornice.

The house has a rectangular plan with an irregular service wing to the north-east. The interior is arranged with a central vestibule to the west, a large north-west entrance hall leading through to a corridor. To the north of the corridor are a large open-well stair and a series of smaller ancillary rooms. The main living spaces comprise a large kitchen to the north-east, dining room to the south-east, drawing room to the south and library to the south-west.

The three-bay west elevation features a large semi-circular hooded porch with a dentilled cornice, carried on paired Ionic columns with stylised squared volutes, a recurrent motif in the interior. A flight of stone steps leads to an open-pedimented doorcase. To the left of the entrance is a large mullion-and-transom window; the right-hand bay is blind. The upper floor has tripartite bow windows. Most windows throughout are steel-framed casements with leaded lights.

The south elevation is a symmetrical composition of seven bays arranged 2-3-2, with the central pilastered bays breaking forward under a pediment with an oculus and swagged Adamesque decoration. The ground floor has triple semi-circular arches with keystones and imposts; the outer arches contain timber bow windows, the central one a door, each with a leaded patterned fanlight. To either side is a large bow French window with a dentil cornice, lead roof and lead patterned transom lights. The left window was reinstated around 1993 after fire damage. Upper windows are cross-framed. The frieze is decorated with paterae. The north elevation has a two-bay projection to the left with irregular fenestration including a Venetian stair window. The service wing is an irregular, accretive two-storey range built in brick, largely rendered, with hipped roofs. The terrace to the south is enclosed by a stone balustraded wall, the piers embellished with urns.

The interior was extensively reworked in 1914–15 in the eclectic revivalist styles of the period, freely combining late 17th-century and 18th-century decorative forms with the 'Adamesque' taste which reached its height of popularity in the early 20th century. The columned vestibule leads through to the entrance hall, which has panelled dados, fluted pilasters with stylised Ionic capitals, and a segmental vaulted ceiling with elaborate high-relief plasterwork and ceiling rose. The large window has a recess with a built-in window seat. To the north is a large alcove containing a Doric chimneypiece with a Baroque style swagged overmantel, set within a full-height pilastered surround. A pair of arches on the east side lead through to the corridor and stair.

The corridor has a groin-vaulted ceiling and dado panelling. The stair is in the early 18th-century style with an open string, carved tread ends, twisted balusters and square newels. Doors leading off the corridor have lugged architraves and panelled mahogany doors. The landing balustrade supports a triple colonnade with Ionic capitals.

The dining room has timber dados, a segmental vaulted ceiling with enriched strapwork, and a wooden chimneypiece with Ionic columns and overmantel with roundel portrait of a 17th-century lady. A recess on the east side has wooden Ionic columns. The drawing room has panelled dados, panels of moulded plaster, and a deep coved ceiling with Adamesque plasterwork. The timber chimneypiece is carved with a cherub head and has an enriched panel and frieze to the overmantel. The door has a pilastered architrave and segmental pediment. The library has a simpler wooden chimneypiece with a Tudor arch.

A green tiled bathroom to the north of the stair contains a grey marble washstand. A 1930s bathroom is clad in white vitrolite with a grey marble panelled bath and washstand. A separate WC has green tiling matching that to the ground-floor bathroom. The north-west bedroom has a marble fire surround; others retain dado rails and cornices. The service wing has a stick baluster stair and some fireplaces; these areas are generally of lesser interest.

The cottage and garage to the north-east of the house are not of special interest.