The Belvedere Including Boundary Walls

SY 08 NE 3/29 11.11.52

COLATON RALEIGH The Belvedere including boundary walls

II

Tower. Circa 1840, according to Hoskins it was built by Louisa Lady Rolle as a birthday gift to her husband. Stucco on stone rubble and brick, some Beerstone detail; roof material unknown. Tall octagonal tower, 3 storeys high, with square stair turret projecting from the north-western side. Entrance on north-eastern side. Tudor Gothic style. Tower has large battered plinth which continues round the porch and stair turret. At the top is a moulded eaves cornice with an embattled parapet. The stair turret rises a little higher with its own cornice and embattled parapet. All the windows are rectangular with deep external splays. There are few ground floor windows, more on the first floor but the second floor has windows on all sides. The larger are mullion-and-transom, the smaller only transomed and have glazing bars. The second floor windows have hoodmoulds with carved labels. The only first floor window with a hoodmould is on the south-eastern side. The porch has a moulded eaves cornice and embattled parapet. The doorway is a flat Tudor arch with a broad chamfered surround at the top of a flight of steps. The door itself is boarded up at present. On the opposite (south-western) side there is a service extension very like the porch. The tower has an external doorway on is north-eastern side; another Tudor arch with a Beerstone medallion over containing the Rolle arms. Interior not inspected. The tower stands on a small octagonal terrace fenced in by low walls with embattled parapet. They are built of local conglomerate stone rubble with weathered coping. The entrance on the north-east side has granite steps. Hoskins calls this the China Tower since it originally housed a magnificent collection of china from all over the world. It is set in a game wood and obviously serves as a wonderful watch tower. It also provides a landscape feature from Bicton House (q.v.). Source: W G Hoskins, Devon, (1954) p.335.

Listing NGR: SY0660487067