Cross House

Country house, dating to 1680-85, with 18th-century alterations and early 19th-century remodelling, and reduced in size during the mid-20th century. The house has rendered stone walls and a hipped slate double span roof, with two rendered axial stacks.

The original plan was a double-depth design consisting of three rooms wide, with a large central stairhall. There were originally two flanking wings which likely contained service rooms. In 1720, following the demolition of Stow House, a late 17th-century Grenville mansion in Cornwall, some of its internal fitments were transferred to Cross House, including an elaborate staircase. Further modifications occurred in the early 19th century when the exterior was remodelled. In the mid-20th century, the top storey and the two original wings were removed.

The symmetrical front façade is two storeys high with a seven-window arrangement, disposed 2:3:2. The first floor has 12-pane sashes; those to the right are from the early 19th century, while those to the centre and left have thicker glazing bars, suggesting they are original. The ground floor also has 15-pane early 19th-century sashes, with a contemporary insertion of a central doorway featuring a semi-circular fanlight over a glazed door. A four-column Tuscan portico of granite with a heavy frieze and cornice adorns the front. The original appearance of the front is retained in the projecting keystones over the windows, the rusticated pilasters at either end, the moulded plinth, and the slightly projecting central bay. The remains of the original wings survive as single-storey sections at either end. The rear elevation has mainly 9, 12, and 15-pane sashes from the early 19th century, with two 19th-century French windows to the left and an 18th-century 12-pane sash to the right of centre on the first floor. Two six-panel doors are located on the rear – one to the left of centre and one at centre. Above the right-hand door is a flat doorhood supported by 17th- or 18th-century carved consoles, while the left-hand door has a reeded doorhood with a dentilled cornice on 17th- or 18th-century console brackets.

The interior was inaccessible at the time of survey but is reportedly noted for an early Venetian window at the rear. Significant fittings were transferred from Stow House, including a very fine staircase of three flights around an open well, featuring a closed string and openwork carving in the Gibbons style, depicting Irish foliage, flowers, and putti. Other fragments from Stow House are present in other rooms.