Castle

Castle is a house largely dating from circa 1840, incorporating an earlier, probably 18th-century range, with later additions of circa 1880 and some subsequent alterations. The building is constructed of coursed slate-stone rubble with granite dressings, beneath slate roofs with deep overhanging eaves, ridge stacks and gable end stacks.

The front range of circa 1840 is planned as a U-shape, with one-room plan wings projecting to the front right and left. The central three bays feature a later 19th-century porch to the right and, to its left, an addition set between the wings. The entrance opens into a hall with a stair to the rear left, and a parallel rear wing containing the principal room to the rear right. Service blocks are arranged to the rear left, including a later 19th-century kitchen block, dairy and game larder, with a service stair to the rear of the 18th-century building, which is enclosed within the later additions.

The building is two storeys tall. The main front elevation displays 2:3:2 windows, all 4-centred arched sashes of 12 panes, except in the wing to the right, which has plate-glass sashes, and the ground floor to the left in the wing, which has 4-centred arched French windows of late 19th-century date with hood mould. The granite ashlar porch, set in the angle to the front right wing, has a wide 4-centred arched opening with 20th-century half-glazed doors, corbelled blocking course and parapet with pierced cusped panels. To the left stands a single-storey addition with three 4-centred arched plate-glass sashes, blocking course and parapet. The wings feature a string course over the first floor windows forming pediments to the gable ends. The wing to the right has a front gable end stack; the wing to the left has a stack to the side. Both wings are of one-room plan. The right side displays two 4-centred arched plate-glass sashes at ground and first floor levels.

Two parallel gabled wings project to the right: the left is two storeys tall, the right two and a half storeys. To the left is a ground floor canted bay of late 19th-century date with four plate-glass 4-centred arched sashes; three similar windows appear at first floor. A porch with glazed door is set in the angle to the right wing. This wing to the right has two 4-centred arched windows at ground and first floor and one at second floor with glazing bars remaining and a string course over, forming a pedimental gable end. A further service range set back to the right of two storeys has a 4-centred arched plate-glass sash at first floor.

The left side displays a 16-pane sash at ground floor and two 12-pane sashes at first floor, with two stacks rising from the eaves. To the rear, the wing at front left is continued as a cross wing, with 12-pane sashes at ground and first floor and a roof hipped to the rear. The rear of the main front range has a parallel two-storey block with gable end stacks, dating from the 18th century, with 12-pane sashes at ground and first floor of the outer left gable end. A two-storey 19th-century kitchen block is attached to the rear left with a large brick stack to the side and a bellcote with ogee roof and weather-vane. To the rear left are two gable ends with 16-pane and 12-pane sashes with brick segmental heads at ground, first and second floors.

The porch opens to a stair hall with an open-well stair to the left, featuring paired turned balusters and a moulded handrail, dating from the circa 1840 build. An archway leads to the rear service corridor, which displays Tudor Gothic style plasterwork with fleurons. The two principal rooms to the front and side to the right have fine plaster cornices and Gothic wooden pelmets for curtains to windows.

The service rooms to the rear are grouped around a small central courtyard and include the 19th-century kitchen, which is open to the roof and features a double-sided fireplace for the range and meat ovens with a sprung spit, granite sink and slate shelf. Other rooms include a dairy with slate floor and shelves and central drain, a game larder and a bakehouse with bread ovens. The cellars have a loading bay from the central courtyard and include two wine cellars.

The house is notable for the unusually complete range of 19th-century service rooms that survive. Rudolf Hess is said to have been interrogated here.