Forecourt buildings, walls and piers and sundial, attached to south east of Antony House

Forecourt buildings, walls, piers and sundial forming the south east front to Antony House

These forecourt buildings, walls, piers and sundial date from 1718 to 1729 and are attributed to the architect Gibbs, according to the antiquaries Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons writing in Magna Britannia: Vol. III Cornwall in 1814.

The buildings are constructed of brick laid in Flemish bond with limestone dressings and hipped slate roofs with stacks positioned to the outer sides. The limestone piers feature wrought iron gates, and there is a granite sundial set centrally.

The forecourt consists of two wings projecting to the right and left of the south front of Antony House, enclosed by walls with central piers and gates. The sundial stands on the central plat. The wings are colonnaded with terminal pavilions. Each wing connects to the house by an arcade—three bays to the right and two to the left—with round arches with stone imposts, the bays closed to the right. At each corner stands a small pavilion with a lead dome. The wings have five narrow bays, seven wider bays beneath the buildings, and a further five bays to each end. The terminal pavilions project slightly forward, each featuring one round arch, a stone cornice, and a similar dome. To the outer side of each pavilion is a round arch with wrought iron gates.

The closing screen wall extends approximately 50 metres and is divided into four bays by square limestone piers with cornice and ball finials on shaped stems. Terminal pilasters with consoles flank the wall. The central pair of ashlar piers stands about 4 metres high, with a pilaster and console to each side, cornice and urn on shaped plinth. Fine wrought iron gates with scrolled and leaf decoration are set with semicircular limestone pivot tracks.

The central building on each side is two storeys with seven bays. A band course runs over the arcade and continues over the outer bays of the colonnade. Sixteen-pane sashes with segmental heads occupy the first floor; a cornice and blocking course are above. At ground floor within the arcade on the right is a central panelled door with four casements; inside the arcade at each end is a round arch with stone imposts. Within the arcade on the left is a central half-glazed door, a two-panelled door to the end right, and four casements. A doorway leads to the end screen wall on each side.

On the central plat in the courtyard stands the sundial, a granite baluster on an octagonal granite base, with metal plate and gnomon. The outer side of the building to the left has a six-panelled door and a two-light casement, with two two-light casements at first floor, a brick band course and stone cornice returned. The rear has four windows at first floor, all with mullion and transom and segmental heads; small glazing bars remain in the window to the right. An upper glazed door opens to the end right. At ground floor, a garden wall approximately 4 metres high, built in banded limestone and slate-stone rubble, divides the space.

The outer side of the building to the right has two windows at first floor, both with mullion and transom, band course and cornice returned. The rear has five windows at first floor, all with mullion and transom and segmental heads, and two brick stacks. At the north end is an external stair to a brick porch, partly rendered.

The building to the right was formerly used as kitchens. The interior of the building to the left contains a central room at first floor with a large red and grey marble chimneypiece with bolection moulding, basket arch, frieze and cornice.