Hall House

Hall House is a country house built around 1846–1850 by Philip Hardwick, with a rear range designed by R.D. Gould. It stands in Bishops Tawton and is constructed in ashlar stonework with stone dressings. The roofs are slate with coped gable ends and ball finials to the right end. Tall octagonal chimneystacks with moulded caps rise prominently, and the building is distinguished by a plain moulded cornice and continuous drip mould above the ground and first floor windows.

The plan is an irregular double pile arrangement with principal rooms flanking a wide entrance hall. A banqueting hall adjoins at right angles to the left end, extending back into a rear left side range from which a twin gabled section extends to the rear right side, parallel to and adjoining the main range. The overall design is in the Jacobethan style.

The main range comprises 2 storeys with an attic storey, arranged with a 1:3:1 bay pattern. Right and left projecting rectangular bays rise to 2 storeys and attic level, each with attic windows set in shaped Flemish gables topped by ball finials. A smaller central attic gable displays an obelisk finial. The centrepiece is a large tetrastyle Doric Renaissance portico with ball finials crowning each column. Three semi-circular headed entrances pierce the front—the central doorway is flanked by round-arched openings and has round-arched sidelights with fluted keystones, a fanlight, and a door with lozenge panels. Above the central doorway sits a 3-light window flanked by single lights, with a 3-light attic window above. The flanking bays contain 5-light windows to the ground and first storeys and 3-light attic windows. All windows are stone mullioned; those below the attic storey also have transoms.

To the left, a slightly recessed single bay with a gable links the main range to the banqueting hall, which forms a projecting gabled cross-wing at the far left. This cross-wing features an apex gablet, corbel table, and a bell turret with pyramidal roof and finial. The front and rear of the banqueting hall have shouldered-arched openings. The gable end displays an impressive 4-light pointed-arched window with Decorated geometric tracery, its hoodmould adorned with human head corbels and a blind quatrefoil stone inset above, flanked by buttresses. Three 2-light windows on the right side have trefoil, quatrefoil, and cinquefoil traceried heads in sequence, each with distinct hoodmould and a buttress to its left with offsets. A 2-light casement sits below the left side window.

A length of walling extending from the left side incorporates a 17th-century doorway with an eared architrave and basket arch, with cherubs heads flanking a Chichester family crest above. Two-light Perpendicular style windows stand between a massive lateral chimney stack with offsets and a stair turret. The stair turret has a segmental pointed-arched cellar doorway in its base. Variously dated decorated lead rainwater heads embellish the exterior.

The interior retains largely intact details. The principal rooms have plaster ceilings. A large dog-leg staircase with thick turned balusters is lit by a stairlight window glazed with stained glass by Pole Brothers. Reused early 16th-century bench ends form part of the panelling in the rear right side entrance hall. The banqueting hall is spanned by 5 arch-braced trusses and contains a minstrels gallery and a massive open fireplace. Painted Royal Arms, said to have come from Shirwell Church, are displayed within.