Newton Ferrers House

Newton Ferrers House is a country house built circa 1685-95 for Sir William Coryton. It was restored in the 1880s for Sir Digby Collins and gutted by fire in the west wing in 1940. The house was reputed by Pevsner to be the earliest Cornish mansion of classical design without traces of Tudor survivals.

The building is constructed in ashlar granite and blue and grey slate stone, with a moulded granite plinth, strings and large granite quoins. The rear (north) elevation is of stone rubble. The roof was originally slate with hipped ends, though the roof to the central range has been replaced with a flat roof and raised parapet, and the west projecting wing has been gutted and roof removed. The east projecting wing retains hipped ends. Three lateral stone rubble chimney stacks with moulded caps sit on the east elevation of the east wing, with a further rear lateral stack with moulded cap at the centre of the north elevation.

The house originally formed an 'H' shape plan with a further earlier range to the west (demolished, illustrated in an engraving by Edmund Prideaux c1735). The main reception rooms are on the piano nobile. Entrance is on the east, with a stair leading to the saloon which occupies the 3 central bays and overlooks the fine garden terraces to the south and an enclosed garden to the north. The west wing, now gutted, formerly contained the dining room and secondary stairs; a smaller remodelled dining room now sits to the west of the saloon. The east wing contains an ante room leading to the library on the south east and a bedroom on the north east.

The building has 2 storeys, a tall basement with attic now removed. The south garden front is symmetrical with a 2:7:2 window arrangement, with 2 wings projecting forward. The west wing has flat dressed stone arches to window openings. The east side of this wing has 2 window openings with 12-pane sashes to the basement. Piano nobile and first floor have a 4-window elevation with outer window openings blind. The central range presents a 7-window front. In the basement, two 6/3-pane sashes flank 10 moulded granite segmental steps leading up to panelled central double doors. The entrance is flanked by granite chamfered rusticated pilasters with tall moulded bases, decorated capitals and a moulded cornice brought forward above the pilasters and in the centre. Six tall 12-pane sashes with horns sit beneath dressed stone segmental arches with granite cills. The first floor has seven 12-pane sashes with flat dressed stone arches and granite cills. At eaves, the dentilled cornice has been removed and a parapet added with a segmental pediment over the 3 central bays, ramped at the ends and surmounted by ball finials. To the east, all openings in the 4-window west elevation of the east wing have been blocked. The south elevation has two 12-pane sashes to piano nobile and first floor with dressed stone flat arches, granite cills and dentilled cornice. A cast iron rainwater hopper on the west wing bears a datestone of 1815. Hoppers at the junction of the central range with the west and east wings are decorated with a relief of a lion passant. The east entrance front has a central porte-cochere enclosed circa 1970s to form a porch, with a 5-window east front with dressed stone segmental arches. Directly to the east are the remains of square granite piers, ball finials and square balusters which originally adorned the entrance. The rear (north) elevation was originally symmetrical with 2 short projecting wings; only the north east wing now survives. A central segmental gabled lateral stack with open pediment in relief stands here. Heraldic arms possibly reset on the outer wall of the stack on the piano nobile comprise a well-carved hatchment beneath a hood in moulded square surround, containing the arms of the De Ferrers family.

Internally, the basement hall on the east has bolection moulded panelling and chair rail with 2 large marbelled columns. A stair circa early 18th century leads to the piano nobile with open string and carved brackets. It is believed to have had barley-sugar ballusters which have been panelled over circa 1970s. The moulded rail is ramped at corners with a square newel. A half-newel and rail in relief on the opposite wall is repeated as dado balustrade. A moulded doorcase to the parlour has a 6-panelled late 17th-century bolection moulded door with segmental pediment above. Panelling to the saloon has been removed, though a heavy early 18th-century cornice remains. Double late 17th-century bolection moulded doors lead onto the terrace. The chimney piece has been replaced with a suitable late 17th-century bolection moulded example. The dining room has been remodelled. The ante room in the east wing has complete bolection moulded panelling with marbled veined ribs and fielded panels, together with a heavy late 17th-century cornice. Six-panelled doors lead to the bedroom on the north and library on the south. The bedroom has complete bolection moulded panelling with chair rail and fielded panels, though a bathroom has been introduced within the room and the chimney piece renewed. A stair to the first floor circa early 18th century has a moulded rail ramped at corners, with the balustrade panelled over circa 1970s. Bedrooms and dressing rooms in the east wing have complete bolection moulded panelling. Bedrooms in the central range have been partly remodelled. Service rooms in the basement have been largely remodelled. The library was not inspected.

A terrace extends directly to the south of the south garden front, stretching from the corners of the projecting wings across the front, dating to circa late 17th century. It features bulbous granite ballusters on square bases with square caps, divided at intervals by square terminals with moulded cornices and ball finials. A pair of square simple granite piers in the centre have moulded cornices, curved necks and ball finials. Six moulded curved granite segmental steps lead down to the lower terrace. Stone rubble relieving walls support the terrace, heavily buttressed on the east. Further terraces to the south complement the fine south elevation.

Newton Ferrers was the property of the Ferrers family until 1314 when Isolda, daughter of John de Ferrers, married John Coryton. The property remained in the hands of the Coryton family until the line became extinct in 1739. The now demolished 2-storey range to the west is illustrated in an engraving by Edmund Prideaux dated c1735, held in the RIBA drawings collection. The existing house was probably built in the 1680s and 90s, contemporary with the stable block which contains a datestone of 1688 and the gatepiers which were reputed to bear datestones of 1688 and 1695. The terraces to the south were reputed to have been laid out by an "Italian". The terraces extend southwards from the west of the old range and the east of the present house, with the entrance piers and segmental steps placed asymmetrically, leading southwards from the centre of Newton Ferrers House.