Pusey House

This is a country house constructed around 1750 by John Sanderson for J.A. Pusey. It is of group value. The house is built of limestone ashlar with a Welsh slate roof and stone stacks. It has a double-depth plan, comprising a two-storey, five-bay central range flanked by two-storey, three-bay canted wings. The main entrance features Tuscan columns and a triglyph frieze to a semi-circular arched doorway with moulded imposts, above which is a four-panelled double-leaf door and fanlight. The windows are sashes with flat stone arches. A plain string course runs along the facade, with bracketed eaves to the centre and a moulded cornice to the side wings. The central roof is hipped, with pyramidal roofs to the side wings.

Flanking quadrant walls of squared and coursed limestone extend on either side, each divided into five bays by vermiculated stonework steps and ball finials. Pedimented features at the ends incorporate alternating bands of limestone rubble and vermiculated stone, and round-headed niches. The rear elevation has flat stone arches over sashes and a floating cornice over a 20th-century door. Similar quadrant walls to the sides feature busts set in round-headed niches with vermiculated stone voussoirs, also applied to the niches of the end features.

Inside, the house has panelled doors and six-panelled shutters. The entrance hall includes a Roman Ionic screen leading to a room on the left, which contains a fine mid-18th century fireplace with a pedimented architrave and Roman Ionic flanking pilasters. To the right of the hall is a dog leg staircase with wrought iron railings and a wreathed handrail, leading to a round-arched opening into the Dining Room, which also contains a mid-18th century fireplace with a rococo surround and a mirror. The Drawing Room, to the left of the hall, was created from two rooms around 1950 and incorporates two late 18th century reset fireplaces and a mid-20th century neo-classical frieze. A round arch connects the front and rear halls; the side walls are ornamented with a central mirror within a semi-circular arch, flanked by six-panelled doors and plasterwork depicting garlands and musical instruments. Corbels support statues within round-headed niches, and the ceiling is coved. Reset late 18th century fireplaces are found in rooms to the left and right, the latter featuring 18th-century bookshelves. The first floor has a rococo frieze to the landing, 18th-century fireplaces, 18th and mid-19th century cornices, and, to the right of the main stairs, a mid-18th century dog leg staircase with turned balusters on a closed string, leading to the second floor.

A one-storey and basement, two-by-four bay service block is located to the right, with two lunettes to the front and three keyed segmental arches over a central window and flanking basement entries. Similar one-storey blocks of two-by-four bays are attached to the front and rear of the right side, the rear block retaining 18th-century two-light leaded casements.