Fontmell Parva House

ST 81 SW CHILD OKEFORD FONTMELL PARVA

3/7 Fontmell Parva House 12-10-78 GV II*

House c.1665 with wings of c.1864. Original house probably for Edward St Loe of Knighton, C19 work for the Bower family by George Evans of Wimborne. Brick, English Bond with ashlar dressings. Hipped roof, main range stone-slated and wings tiled. Main stack central, of brick with blind arcading. Subsidary stacks to later ranges. Coved cornice. C19 carved, gabled dormers. C19 wings have stone plat band. Symmetrical. 2 storeys with semi-basements and attics. 7 window range (5 to original house). Ashlar mullioned windows with moulded architraves and keystones. Central doorway approached up a flight of stairs flanked by parapets with ball finials. Doorway has architrave, pulvinated frieze and broken pediment. Open C19 gables to end and central bays. Bulls-eye windows to sides of porches.

Internally the plan is of two main rooms either side of a central stack (in the original range). Main rooms have fielded panelling with panels of Honduras Mahogany. Entrance lobby has shell-headed niche. Bedrooms have C17 oak panelling. (RCHM, Dorset, vol. III, p.80, no. 2. Newman, J and Pevsner, N., The Buildings of England: Dorset. 1972, p.154/5.)

Listing NGR: ST8269014550