Bowringsleigh

A country house of 15th-century origin, heavily remodelled throughout the 17th century with considerable internal refitting. Further substantial alterations and additions were made in the later 19th century. The house was originally the home of the Bowring family, then purchased by the Ilberts in 1696. Following a major fire, the Ilberts undertook extensive restoration work between 1868 and 1873, designed by the architect Richard Coad.

The walls are mainly constructed of rough coursed slatestone rubble. The gabled roofs are natural slate, embellished with decorative Victorian ridge tiles and stone coping. Numerous stone rubble chimney stacks are present, mostly with moulded caps.

The building has a complex plan that has evolved over many generations. Entry is into a screens passage with a lofty hall to the left, probably occupying the site of the medieval hall but remodelled in the early to mid-17th century with a fireplace on its rear wall. Beyond this is a room that has functioned as a parlour since at least the late 17th or early 18th century when it was refitted. To the left is a cross wing, probably a heavy 19th-century remodelling of an earlier range (at least at the front), extending to the rear with the Victorian kitchen and service rooms. To the right of the screens passage is a room with a rear lateral fireplace, beyond which is another cross-passage leading at the front to the tower with a chapel on its lowest storey. This tower is undoubtedly of 15th-century origin but was heavily restored, with its upper half rebuilt during the Victorian restoration. A fire is recorded in 1843, which apparently destroyed the east wing and may account for the pronounced Victorian character of the end rooms and the restoration of the tower. Behind this row of rooms is an axial passage with smaller narrower rooms to the rear, terminating in a large 19th-century billiard room at the east end. Behind the screens passage is a 17th-century staircase, with a similar stairwell in the angle with the kitchen wing. Between these two is a room immediately behind the hall of uncertain date, featuring early 16th-century windows that may have been re-used when 17th-century alterations were undertaken. A rear service courtyard is formed by various 19th-century buildings on either side opposite the house.

The exterior presents three storeys. The asymmetrical front has seven windows and is crenellated, with a gabled cross wing at the left end and a tall crenellated tower to the right, beyond which extends a further range. Stone mullion and transomed windows of three, four and six-lights are present, with the larger ones lighting the hall and parlour being of 17th-century date; others were probably restored in the 19th century. A gabled two-storey porch to the right of centre contains a segmental arch-moulded doorway with hoodmould above. Both this and the roll-and-hollow moulded inner doorway are constructed of volcanic stone. A 17th-century panelled door is positioned inside the porch. The tower features a five-sided stair turret on its west side, lit by slits. Other windows are of single or two-light stone mullions with cinquefoil heads, some retaining 15th-century tracery while others have been restored. A doorway behind the turret has a round voussoir arch. On the east side of the tower is a three-light chapel window, which is a complete restoration in Perpendicular style. To its right is another stair projection. Beyond the tower is a gig range with mullion and transom windows and a bay on its end wall. Behind this and the billiard room is a separate one-storey gabled range. Between the two ranges is a section of wall incorporating a 17th-century granite arched doorway, with a similar doorway (with restored head) behind the billiard room. A tall rubble wall extends in a curve towards the east approximately 50 metres, terminating in a 19th-century Jacobean-style gazebo.

At the rear, the house is arranged around a courtyard. The main range incorporates two early 16th-century stone mullion windows with segmental heads. To the right is a stair projection with a possibly 17th-century 12-light mullion and transom window. Further to the left are two 19th-century cinquefoiled stair lights. The wing projection to the right ends in a 19th-century pyramidal-roofed kitchen block and has an outshut running in front of it.

The interior contains significant features from the 17th century and later periods. Between the passage and hall is a good early to mid-17th-century screen, more decorative on the hall side with arcaded panels, strapwork and fluted Corinthian columns. The hall's simple plaster ceiling, probably slightly earlier, features single ribs in a geometrical design with a central pendant. An early 17th-century granite lateral fireplace has roll-and-hollow moulding rising to a peak at the centre of the lintel. In the higher end wall is a late 17th-century timber doorcase with bolection-moulded surround surmounted by an open pediment with a large armorial shield at its centre.

The room beyond the hall retains complete late 17th-century bolection-moulded panelling with two pedimented doorcases similar to that in the hall. The plain marble fireplace is considerably later. The good plaster ceiling is contemporary with the panelling and features an octagonal panel with the figure of Fame blowing her trumpet in the centre, surrounded by various military devices in high relief with foliage decoration around the outside.

The room behind the hall has a late 17th-century wooden chimneypiece with heavy cornice and projecting central panel. Behind the screens passage is a 19th-century open-well staircase with squared newels with plain caps, closed string and barleytwist balusters. A segmental-headed granite doorway leads from the passage into the adjoining room, which has a granite fireplace similar to that in the hall. All joinery in this room and the room beyond is of high quality, executed in the 19th century in 17th-century style.

The chapel incorporates a 15th-century rood screen from the ruined South Huish church. The 19th-century kitchen at the back of the house features an open timber roof, three fireplaces of dressed stone and a large built-in dresser. The landing at the top of the stairs has a 17th-century plaster cornice. The bedroom at the top of the stairs has bolection-moulded dado and wooden chimneypiece. One wall contains a good early 18th-century shell-headed cupboard. The room to its right is fitted with 17th-century panelling, partly renewed in one corner, and has a contemporary granite fireplace with wooden overmantel. Numerous late 17th-century bolection-moulded two-panel doors are present upstairs. One bedroom features bolection-moulded panelling while another has probably slightly later fielded panelling. Opposite these rooms is a late 17th-century staircase similar to the other, with the two adjoining bedrooms reached by tall doorways with segmental pediments over. The roof structure throughout the house is entirely of late 19th-century date.

This is a house which maintained its importance until the late 19th century, a fact reflected in the quality of its features throughout. It was not substantially altered in the 20th century.