The Walronds

The Walronds

A grand town house built between 1603 and 1605 for John Peter, constructed in local Culm sandstone laid as coursed rubble with some Volcanic Trap stone and Beer stone dressing. The rear wing to the south is built of cob. All elevations are rendered and roofed in slate tiles. The building underwent modifications in the late 18th and 19th centuries and was restored in the early 21st century.

The plan comprises a two-storey, single-depth cross-passage main range with two-storey cross wings at each end (north and south), all with garret accommodation. The cross wings have two bays to their inner face and enclose a small cobbled courtyard. Within the main range, the hall lies to the right (north) of the cross passage and the service range to the left (south), retaining the original buttery, pantry, and kitchen. Two first-floor bedrooms were subdivided in the late 19th century when a front corridor was inserted. The north cross wing contains the parlour with a principal bedroom above. The south cross wing houses the first-floor great chamber, with storage rooms to the ground floor. This wing extended further to the rear; foundations survive under the rear yard.

The symmetrical principal elevation facing east comprises two storeys with three bays to the main range and two forward-projecting gabled cross wings, finished with dressed stone quoins, a moulded plinth, and square obelisks to the gables. A timber carriage entrance arch to the left, with ovolo-moulded surround, is possibly contemporary with the house. The main range features a central ovolo-moulded entrance door surround, blind to the first floor and rising to form a gable with a two-light mullioned window. The outer bays have three-light mullioned windows to both ground and first floors. These are repeated to the inner face of each cross wing. The gable ends of the cross wings have four-light mullioned windows to the ground and first floors, and two-light mullioned windows to the garrets. All windows have double ovolo-moulded Beer stone surrounds and mullions, and sandstone hoodmoulds with label stops. Panes are leaded, some latticed, with many having stanchion bars. Some windows retain 17th-century iron catches.

The south elevation features a truncated external chimney stack corbelled out at first-floor level. The 17th-century door and window here are thought to be reused rather than original features. Other windows are 19th or 21st-century replacements.

The north elevation has an external lateral chimney stack with two pairs of set-offs and three early-17th-century mullioned windows.

The rear (west) elevation of the main range has an external lateral chimney stack flanked by two and three-light mullioned windows with moulded stone surrounds; one retains a hoodmould. A stair turret is set in the angle between the main range and south wing, lit by two-light ovolo-moulded windows. A quatrefoil and shallow pointed lancet have been reset at ground-floor level, probably in the 19th century. The inner face of the south wing has an early-17th-century three-light window; the door and other windows are 19th-century. To the west end of the south wing is a three-light window under a timber hoodmould, possibly 18th-century. The inner and rear faces of the north wing have one, two, and three-light windows. The cellar, set below the stairs but above ground level, is lit by small lancet windows.

The interior contains early-17th-century plank and muntin screens to the cross passage with cyma recta mouldings, hollow step stops, and carpenter's mitres. To the south side of the screen is an apotropaic mark. Two doorways have moulded cambered heads, and a blocked doorway leads to the hall. The panelled doors are 19th-century.

The hall to the north has an early-17th-century high-end screen of four tiers with moulding and fluted Ionic pilasters. The cornice includes a continuous frieze of tulips (except to the lower end). The chimneypiece with overmantel dates to 1605 and features stone jambs and a lintel with cyma recta moulding and bulbous step stops. The plaster overmantel has strapwork decoration, with the central panel containing the coat of arms of the Peter and Paris families surrounded by fruit, flowers, and two putti. Doorways to the front parlour and stair passage have cyma recta moulded surrounds; one retains an early fielded-panel door. Early-18th-century barley-sugar balusters and a handrail have been added to the 17th-century dog-leg staircase.

To the service end (south), the kitchen has deeply-chamfered cross beams. To the rear is a 17th-century newel staircase with an octagonal newel post and facetted ball finial, with original treads and risers. Surviving 17th-century timber partition walls retain wattle and daub infill.

The four roof trusses to the main range comprise pegged principal rafters with tie beams and two rows of trenched purlins, showing close affinities with the roof structure of The Manor House Hotel of 1603 (Grade II*).

The parlour in the north wing has mid-17th-century wall panelling of five tiers, with upper panels featuring marquetry work divided by decorated brackets. The chimneypiece has Ionic pilasters, a cornice, and lintel and jambs with ovolo and cyma recta mouldings. The overmantel features inlaid wooden arches, a dentilled cornice, and paired detached columns. The early-17th-century plaster ceiling has a symmetrical geometric pattern of kite and square panels radiating from central bosses and incorporating angle sprays.

The ground-floor storage area of the south wing has two deeply-chamfered cross beams, one with bulbous step stops. On the first floor of the south wing, the great chamber features a moulded cornice and an early-17th-century plaster ceiling of moulded single ribs intersecting to create a geometric pattern with floral motifs and square and concave-sided diamonds, incorporating angle sprays. The chimneypiece has a continuous moulded stone lintel and jambs, a moulded cornice with fleurons, and an overmantel bearing the coats of arms of the Peter and Paris families with two angel bearers contained in a strapwork scroll surround, dated 1605.

The small antechamber is approached through a pedimented door surround with a cambered door head and fluted pilasters. It has a decorated cornice and an early-17th-century plaster ceiling with intersecting single ribs creating a pattern of lozenge and square panels and incorporating angle sprays. A cranked doorway lintel has moulded jambs. The rear bedroom has a fireplace with stone jambs and moulding and a wooden lintel. The overmantel features a hops and oak leaf motif with carnations to the frieze.

A ceiled, coved garret to the south wing features jointed crucks.