The Towers

RIVERS ROAD 656-1/17/1374 (North side) 05/08/75 The Towers

GV II

Detached house in own extensive grounds above Rivers Road. Possibly with late C18 core, extensively enlarged and refronted in mid C19; further C20 alterations. MATERIALS: Limestone ashlar, slate roofs with moulded axial stacks and to returns. PLAN: Double depth plan with side and rear wings. EXTERIOR: Two storeys; three bay central block with taller flanking wings with corner drums. Plate glass sash windows. Central block has hipped roof with wide C20 boxed eaves; flanking pilasters and adjoining ground floor Platband; ground floor openings have extended sills in shouldered arched recesses and splayed reveals, and a C20 front door; first floor windows with narrow reeded architraves with roundels to upper corners. Taller wings with single bay links to circular corner towers, with three windows each; coped parapets, cornices and stepped friezes, ground floor platbands, flat-arched recesses to first floor windows and semicircular arched recesses to ground floor windows, all with extended sills; ground floor windows to towers are full height. Tower to left has curved stone first floor balcony on moulded stone brackets with fine iron balustrade. To rear left, higher up hillside, a wider gabled late C19 three storey range with machicolated parapet to front, coped gable to return, moulded sill strings and roll-moulded arrises to architraves. INTERIOR: Not inspected. HISTORY: The original central block is said to have been named Beacon Cottage. A picturesque composition that clearly indicates its several-phased development.

Listing NGR: ST7510866117