Whiteway House

Whiteway House

Large house, largely built in the 1770s for the first Lord Borrington with early 19th-century alterations. The dating is somewhat uncertain: Pevsner described it as Queen Anne with additions of 1812 and 1815, but 1973 sale particulars stated that in 1765 there existed little more than a farmhouse on the site.

The building is constructed in Flemish bond brick with a slate roof concealed behind a parapet with corner urns. Brick stacks with moulded cornices and some stone dressings are present; the rear elevation is rendered. The plan is rectangular with five principal rooms facing south towards the garden, and a central canted bay on the south elevation. The entrance is at the east end, leading into an entrance hall and axial corridor. An open well stair with a domed and top-lit centre occupies the north side of the corridor.

A wing at right angles to the main range and facing east was demolished between 1967 and 1973. A separately-roofed service block parallel to the main range at the rear has also been demolished. The phases of building are difficult to disentangle: the exterior appears consistent with a date of 1774 (evidenced by a dated rainwater head), although a medallion in the pediment on the east front is probably early 18th century. The internal detail of the three principal central rooms and the entrance hall looks surprisingly early for the 1770s, but the stair hall, west end room, and some of the moulded cornices may well be early 19th century.

The building is three storeys tall. The symmetrical seven-window east elevation features the central three bays pedimented with pilasters above a three-bay Tuscan portico with a panelled soffit. A moulded cornice runs below the parapet, with platbands at first and second floor levels. The medallion in the pediment contains a bust in relief, possibly depicting Queen Anne. The central two-leaf front door has fielded panels and a doorcase with panelled soffit and reveals, with a semi-circular fanlight with spoke glazing bars. The door is flanked by 12-pane sashes under the portico, with two similar windows to left and right featuring flat ribbed brick arches. First floor windows are similar; second floor windows are 3 over 6 pane sashes with flat ribbed brick arches. A single-window ground floor extension at the right end is all that remains of the former linking block between the main range and stables.

The symmetrical five-bay south elevation features a central five-sided bay crowned with a vase, with flanking bays slightly set back and outer bays slightly broken forward. Moulded cornice, platbands, and sill bands run below the parapet. The central ground floor window in the bay is round-headed with a stone architrave, open pediment with enriched consoles, a keyblock, and a round-headed sash with margin glazing. The first floor sash is similar with a round-headed architrave and keyblock. The second floor sash has a stone architrave and cornice with 3 over 6 panes. The flanking facets of the bay are glazed with sashes similar to those on the east front. The bays to left and right of the centre have ground and first floor Venetian windows with keyblocks. The second floor windows are tripartite sashes with moulded cornices and stone architrave.

Photographs held by the National Monuments Record taken in 1962 show the now-demolished five-bay north-east wing, the demolished service range, and a separate early 19th-century service block to the rear. This is a fine house with a notable interior.