Ditchett

Ditchett is a house dating from around 1820, constructed of colourwashed rendered stone and cob, with a two-span hipped slate roof. It features end stacks with brick shafts and a rear lateral stack. The layout includes a double depth plan that is three rooms wide, with the central front room serving as an entrance hall containing the staircase, while the principal rooms are located to the front left and right. An axial passage, which includes a service stair at the right end, separates the front from the rear rooms. The rear left contains a pantry, the rear centre is a kitchen, and the rear right is a parlour or dining room. The axial passage connects to the entrance hall via a somewhat awkward closet.

The exterior is two storeys high and presents an almost symmetrical three-bay front. It features a 19th-century panelled front door with a glazed overlight and panelled reveals, along with a 19th-century Tuscan porch. The early 19th-century windows include 16-pane sashes in the left bay, 20-pane sashes in the right bay, and a 12-pane sash above the front door. A 19th-century round-headed casement with margin glazing lights the service stair on the right return. The rear elevation displays a mix of 19th-century casements and 20th-century replacement windows, along with a rear service door leading into the pantry.

Inside, original features are preserved, including panelled doors. The entrance hall features a reeded plaster cornice and oval plaster ceiling decoration. The stick baluster staircase has a wreathed mahogany handrail. The ground floor room on the front left has an early 19th-century Devon marble chimney-piece that has been re-sited. The large kitchen fireplace remains open and includes a bread oven, while the rear right room has a 19th-century reeded chimney-piece. Other rooms were not seen during the survey, but similar features may also be present. Overall, Ditchett is a large and attractive gentry house.