Yeldall Manor

Yeldall Manor

Large country house in a landscaped park, now a charitable institution. Built in 1894 by architect John Belcher in a romantic Tudor style. The building is constructed of brick and Bath stone, with parts rendered with half-timbering, plain tile hanging, and pebble dash. The roofing consists of tiles with gables and hips, some parapets, and irregular chimneys with offset heads. All windows are leaded casements, mostly arranged irregularly.

The house has an irregular plan with parts rising two storeys and parts three storeys with attics. The entrance front features a prominent three-storey single-bay central entrance gable, partly half-timbered, with an enclosed porch beneath and a square bay window above. To the left and behind the entrance stands a brick staircase tower with a stepped parapet and stone coping, containing a large 12-light mullioned and transomed window at lower level. To the left of this is a two-storey, single-bay attic gable with tile hanging and half-timbering below, brick on the ground floor, and a four-light stone mullioned window. The left-end bay is of brick, one and a half storeys high, with a large 12-light window on the first floor that breaks the eaves, topped by a hipped dormer roof. Similar character appears to the right of the entrance, with a large brick chimney on the front wall projecting considerably above the roof line.

The garden front displays three prominent single-bay gables irregularly spaced. The central gable is pebble-dashed with a small angular oriel in the tympanum, projecting over the brick floor in three stages, a five-light casement on the first floor, and a 12-light stone mullioned and transomed casement on the ground floor. Brick and stone gables on either side have two-storey angular bays with battlemented parapets and large mullioned and transomed windows on both floors. At the far left is a projecting single bay in brick and stone with stone cornice carried round at eaves level and casement windows on upper floors; the ground floor end features a Venetian-style window with a pair of centre French casements. On the right are two semi-circular brick arches at ground floor level with stone Tuscan columns and keystones, forming a recessed terrace. Above this is a sleeping balcony with ornamental wood balusters and a central carved wood column. To the right, turning the corner, stands a brick octagonal stair turret with a tiled pyramidal roof and small casements with stone surrounds.

Interior

The two-storey hall features embattled panelling on the ground floor with plaster-infilled close studding and curved braces. A two-storey transomed and mullioned window with a garden door stands to the right, set within a triangular alcove. A corridor with glazing runs to the right, with a central internal porch containing double doors and a jettied cove above. A moulded stone hooded fireplace is set in a large panelled ingle, with an oriel above. Moulded arch braces support the roof. A three-flight square open-well staircase with chair-leg balusters and a moulded handrail passes through two arches.

The television room has hinged connecting doors to the hall and a wide low fireplace with egg-and-dart surround decorated with William de Morgan tiles showing clover and birds. The games room is panelled with Ionic wooden pilasters and cornice, an end fireplace rising two storeys with a double recanted shelf standing in an apse. The billiard room is panelled similarly to the games room but with Tuscan pilasters, an end Venetian window with centre lights and French casements, and a large side window seat. Stairs to the second floor with chair-leg opening pass through three arches at the other end of the first floor gallery.