Westnorth Manor And Well House 1M To East

Westnorth Manor and Well House, located one metre to the east, comprises a farmhouse with well-house, dating from circa late 16th century and extended and partly remodelled in the late 17th century. The building is constructed of stone rubble with a concrete tile roof.

The main house presents an asymmetrical form with a gabled higher end on the left and a gabled lower end on the right. A truncated cross wing extends from the lower end beneath a slightly higher roof with a hipped end on the right and a shallow hipped projection to the rear. The building is two storeys.

The external walls contain multiple chimney stacks reflecting the building's complex evolution. A circa 17th-century stone rubble chimney stack with moulded granite string is positioned towards the left-hand gable end, originally serving an inner room before the addition of a further room on the left-hand gable end. This was subsequently converted to an axial stack heating an enlarged hall following removal of the partition between hall and inner room. A circa 17th-century stone rubble axial hall chimney stack with moulded granite string sits to the left of centre, backing onto a through passage with a now-blocked fireplace. A 20th-century brick stack has been added at the left-hand extended gable end, and stone rubble projecting front lateral chimney stacks with 20th-century rendered brick shafts are present on the right.

The front elevation displays a 4-window asymmetrical arrangement. The higher end on the left features a 20th-century 6-pane window in a 19th or 20th-century segmental arch. A 19th-century gabled porch with a 16-pane sash sits to the right below a wide timber lintel. The stair projection near the centre has a round-headed brick-dressed opening now blocked with a 12-pane sash inserted. At the lower end, an entrance to an inserted cross passage features a late 19th-century gabled glazed porch with a 1920s glazed door. First-floor openings include a 19th-century 2-light casement at the higher end, and 8-pane and 16-pane sashes without horns to the left of the stair window.

The rear elevation, probably originally the front, retains a blocked entrance with a decorated carved stone lintel possibly inscribed with the date 1553 and words 'God be here and peace', with a small square carved and inscribed plaque directly above. This entrance is flanked by two pairs of 12-pane sashes beneath flat brick arches with a moulded slate string above; the left-hand sash retains heavy 18th-century glazing bars. The first floor displays four 12-pane sashes, with the top light of the third sash featuring heavy 18th-century glazing bars. A truncated cross-wing projection at the lower end on the left includes blind window openings.

The interior plan has been considerably altered from its original form. The partition between the hall and the original inner room has been removed, creating an enlarged hall heated by the original gable-end fireplace, whilst the blocked hall fireplace remains, showing a granite chamfered left-hand jamb and lintel. An approximately early 19th-century extended inner room on the higher left-hand gable end was originally used as a dairy. The service room below the original position of the through passage retains a 20th-century chimney piece with a moulded and dentilled cornice and 20th-century panelling below the chair rail, possibly covering earlier fielded panels. This room has been partially partitioned at the lower end to provide a cross passage between the main range and cross wing, featuring fielded panelled doors and panelling below the chair rail.

The cross wing at the lower end of the cross passage contains an ornate panelled room with complete early 18th-century panelling of Doric order, featuring a cornice with egg-and-dart moulding, fielded panels above and below the chair rail, and shutters. A circa 19th-century chimney piece is flanked by early 18th-century fluted pilasters. The door has six raised and fielded panels with an egg-and-dart moulded frame, flanked by fluted Roman Doric pilasters with entablature blocks of one triglyph each. A small narrow room remains in the truncated projection of the cross wing with a heavy moulded dentilled circa late 17th-century cornice continuing along one wall.

A circa late 17th-century dog-leg stair is present, featuring a closed string with a heavy moulded rail and alternating barleysugar and turned vase-shaped balusters. Square newels are present, with fielded panels on opposite walls above the first stage.

The first floor of the cross wing features a circa early 18th-century panelled room of Ionic order, complete with an undecorated ceiling. In the first floor of the main range, a corridor has been inserted, partitioning off the larger rooms, though circa late 17th-century heavily moulded cornices remain. Two middle bedrooms retain remains of bolection moulded panelling, one with almost complete panelling below the chair rail and the other with two panels and two bolection moulded doors surviving. Dressing rooms in the projection adjoining the staircase projection feature complete fielded panelling.

The roof structure above the hall and room at the lower end of the original through passage comprises six roof trusses with clean slightly chamfered principals with curved feet resting on the wall plate, morticed at the apex. The collars are cambered and chamfered with dovetailed notch-lap joints. Two sets of holes for threaded purlins are present, one above collar level and one below; the holes for the former have been filled in. The cross wing contains one principal with a curved foot. A 20th-century roof structure covers the extension at the higher end.

The well-house, possibly dating from circa 17th century, is located one metre to the east of the rear entrance door, which leads directly into the hall. It is constructed of stone rubble with a pointed arched head and chamfered jambs.

The manor was formerly a dismembered property belonging to the Kendalls of Treworge. It was purchased by one of the Aristis family in 1671. The Garter Kings at Arms subsequently made Westnorth their chief place of residence.