Widworthy Court

Widworthy Court is a hotel in its current use, formerly a country house. Built in 1830 for Sir Edward Marwood Elton, a baronet, it was designed by architect George Repton. The building is constructed of plastered limestone ashlar with brick stacks and ashlar chimneyshafts, most retaining original chimneypots, beneath a slate roof.

The house follows a U-plan layout, with the main block oriented towards a garden terrace to the south-east. It contains a double-depth plan with three front rooms, behind which sit a large entrance hall and stair hall. The main entrance is positioned at the left (south-west) end. The left rear wing projects at right angles and returns to the same height as the main block before continuing as a service wing at a lower level. The right (north-east) rear wing houses the principal parlour, with what appears to be a former billiard room—now converted to bedrooms—set forward at its end. Most rooms are heated by a series of axial stacks. The courtyard contains some secondary infill. The structure comprises two storeys with attics over the main part and cellars beneath the parlour wing.

On the garden front, a 1:3:1 window arrangement is evident, with the centre bay slightly recessed. First-floor windows are 12-pane sashes with moulded architraves. Ground-floor centre-bay windows sit within a canted bay arrangement flanking a front doorway. The windows either side are tripartite 6-pane sashes with Doric pilasters between, entablature above, and balustrade below. A plain platband runs at first-floor level, with a dentil eaves cornice and parapet above. The attic storey at the left end, extending over the entrance front, is likely a later addition. All roofs are hipped.

The north-east parlour front displays a 5-window front of 12-pane sashes matching the garden front's style. The former billiard room block has a similar 3-window front and an open parapet of turned balusters. The entrance front contains a 3-window front of 12-pane sashes with panels beneath the ground-floor windows. A large central doorway holds part-glazed double doors with side lights and overlight, set behind a Doric porch with four columns and balustrade. The service block, set slightly back to the left, contains plain 12-pane sashes including a full-height canted bay. A date plaque appears on the wall alongside the bay window.

The interior features an impressive entrance hall and stair hall, separated by a segmental arch whose soffit is enriched with ornamental plasterwork. The stair hall fireplace displays a monumental chimneypiece bearing the Marwood arms flanked by garlands, a fret pattern frieze above, and a large eared picture frame. The stair itself is a large open-well design with open string, cast iron bulbous balusters, mahogany handrail, and curtail step. The tripartite sash window lighting the stairs features Doric columns between and balustrade below. The ceiling carries a cornice of acanthus leaf-shaped modillions with rosettes between, with panelled ribs enriched with guilloche pattern. Although some original joinery and detail survive, much has been removed.

Repton's original plans, including designs for landscaping the grounds, are held in the RIBA library. The scheme appears to have remained unfinished; a giant Ionic portico was originally intended but never constructed.