Manadon House

Manadon House is a country house located in Crownhill, originally occupied by the Royal Navy. It dates to approximately the late 17th century, with a documented date of 1681, and incorporates features from an earlier 16th-century house. The house was altered in the late 19th century. It is constructed of stone rubble with granite dressings, and has a steeply pitched slate roof with granite coping, scroll kneelers to the gable ends, and acanthus-enriched modillions to the overhanging eaves. Granite gable-end stacks have moulded and weathered caps.

The building’s plan is symmetrical, consisting of a three-room main range, with a smaller central room acting as an entrance hall leading to a large stair tower. A narrower range originally existed behind the stair tower, but this has been incorporated into later 19th-century rear extensions. Large 19th-century rear wings extend north-west and north-east, likely replacing earlier wings that might have formed a rear courtyard.

The south front has a symmetrical arrangement of seven windows. It features large granite quoins, stringcourses, and moulded granite window frames, with the mullions and transoms having been removed, replaced by 19th-century four-pane sashes. A central moulded granite four-centred arch doorway is present with Gothic glazed double doors and a 19th-century Portland stone Ionic portico, topped with a moulded stone window. Dormers have been restored in the mid-20th century. The west gable end has a 19th-century gabled bay. The rear (north) elevation has 19th-century wings to the left and right, and a large gabled stair tower at the centre, featuring granite mullion-transom windows.

Inside, 16th-century moulded granite four-centred arch doorways are found in the stair hall at the rear and into the rear wings. A large granite fireplace is situated in the kitchen of the north-east wing, while moulded granite fireplaces are present in a chamber on the first floor and in the attic chamber. A fine late 17th-century open-well staircase is in the stair tower, with a pulvinated string, a heavy moulded handrail, closely-spaced balusters, and panelled newels with volute finials, extended in the late 19th century by square columns above. Doorways on the landing have moulded architraves, floating pediments, and bolection panelled doors. A first-floor chamber includes bolection panelling and a doorway with an eared architrave and floating pediment. Bolection panelling is found in the entrance hall. The drawing room and dining room have 19th-century moulded plaster ceilings and chimneypieces.