Lancarffe

Lancarffe

House, probably 17th century in origin; extended and re-oriented around 1680; with alterations of the early 19th century and some 20th century alterations and additions.

The building is constructed of coursed slatestone rubble with a slate roof featuring ridge tiles. The early range has gable ends with gable end stacks and a rear lateral stack, all with rubble shafts. The 1680 range has a hipped roof with scantle slates on the front slope and a lead roll to the ridge, sharing the gable end stack to the rear left and with a separate stack to the rear right.

The original house had an uncertain plan, but what survives consists of three rooms, with two outer rooms heated from gable end stacks; the rear lateral stack of the central room is probably a later addition. The house originally was oriented north-south, facing west. Around 1680, the house was re-oriented to run east-west, and a new range was built at the right end, forming a crosswing. The right side became the entrance front, facing south, consisting of a two-room plan forming a symmetrical composition. A central entrance leads into a passage, with a room to the right and left, now forming the front principal rooms; the room to the right is now used as a kitchen. Behind this range and in the angle to the main range, a stair tower was added around 1680, featuring a large open-well stair. At the original front, the 1680 range projects beyond the main range, and another short wing was added at the original left end, creating a symmetrical U-plan form at the original front. A short wing was added to the rear left of the original range. Around 1930, a single-storey range of service rooms was added to the rear behind the kitchen, and a porch was added behind the stair tower, which was extended to form an entrance hall at the rear.

The original west front forms the garden front, a two-storey symmetrical five-bay front on a plinth with projecting shallow two-storey wings at each end, each with a hipped roof, and three central bays. The central bays have 19th century 16-pane sashes with cambered stone arches at first floor; the ground floor has a central early 20th century French window and 19th century 20-pane sashes with cambered arches to each side. The wing to the left has a 24-pane sash at ground floor and a 16-pane sash at first floor.

The right side is the 1680 south entrance front, a symmetrical five-bay two-storey front. All windows are circa 1680 40-pane sashes with very small panes and thick glazing bars that are bolection-moulded on the inside and flat-faced outside, with segmental stone arches. A central pair of 19th century half-glazed doors with a segmental hood is positioned centrally. Three S-shaped ties are visible. Attached to the right is the single-storey service range, with a 20th century window and a 30-pane sash with thick glazing bars. Above the windows are three pointed arched recesses with slate cills, which appear too small to be bee-boles but face south. To the right is a pointed arched doorway through a screen wall.

The left side of the main range has a 19th century 8-pane sash at first floor to the right; similar sashes appear at ground and first floor in the front wing. At the rear is a small two-storey wing to the right, with 19th century 12-pane sashes at ground and first floors; at the inner side, the first floor level is slate-hung with a two-light 20th century window and a small 12-pane sash at ground floor.

The rear of the main range has two windows: the ground floor has two 19th century 24-pane sashes with cambered arches, and the first floor has two 20-pane sashes with cambered arches. A small 12-pane sash is present at ground floor to the left, with an external stack. The rear stair tower shows two builds, with a straight joint between them. The stair tower has a 12-pane sash at first floor. The rear part has a gabled porch with a re-used granite doorway featuring a hollow-chamfered segmental arch (removed from the stable) and a 20th century door; a 20th century window is to the left. At first floor is a two-light six-pane casement with L hinges, and a small 12-pane sash at attic level. The stair tower has a hipped roof.

The interior retains an unusually complete set of bolection-moulded panelled rooms. In the 1680 range, the front left room has complete bolection-moulded panelling with a moulded plaster cornice; the panelling is brought forward over the windows. A bolection-moulded chimneypiece features a pulvinated frieze and a moulded mantel. The passage has bolection-moulded panelling, originally with doors symmetrically placed to the right and left, each with a bolection-moulded surround and a two-panelled door; the doorway to the right has been moved to the left and now serves as the entrance to the kitchen. Most of the doors are original, with others being 19th century copies. The stair hall has an open-well stair with twisted balusters, a scroll-carved string with carved flowers, and ramped dado panelling with pilasters. Over the stair hall is a coved plaster cornice with acanthus and flowers. On the half-landing is a doorcase to the rear with a broken pediment featuring a cherub. At first floor, the panelling is probably 19th century, copied from the original, with one doorcase retaining an early carved cherub's head with folded wings.

In the 1680 range, there are two rooms with complete bolection-moulded panelling and chimneypieces, with two small dressing-rooms at the right end. The windows have segmental arches with key blocks, and the panelling is slightly varied over the chimneypiece. All bolection-moulded doorcases feature two-panelled doors. These rooms were originally interconnected but are now blocked with copied panelling. Over the original range is one small front room that also has bolection-moulded panelling and a chimneypiece.

In the main range, the ground floor room to the left was originally the lower end kitchen, with an oven in the gable end fireplace, now removed. Over the main range, the roof retains trusses from the late 17th century, with principal rafters halved and pegged at the apex, cambered collars halved and pegged to the principals, and trenched purlins.

The house is unusual in retaining a fine set of rooms with panelling, and the complete set of late 17th century sashes on the south front are exceptionally fine and very rare.