Ladybellegate House

Ladybellegate House is a town house, built around 1704 for Edward Wagstaffe, and extensively remodelled between 1740 and 1743 for Henry Guise. Later alterations occurred in the 18th century, with a restoration undertaken in the late 20th century. The building is constructed of stuccoed brick with stone detailing, and has a slate roof. It has a double-depth block layout, featuring a wide central hall with a stairwell at the rear, and a cross-gallery on the first floor which was later subdivided.

The exterior is three storeys high, with a cellar, and sits behind a shallow forecourt. The symmetrical front has seven bays, with offset plinths, raised and chamfered quoins, a projecting sill detail and a crowning modillion cornice with a stone-capped parapet. The central bay features an entrance doorway framed by three-quarter Ionic columns supporting an entablature and pediment. The door itself has a cross-braced lower panel and four fielded panels above. Sashes with renewed glazing bars (3x4 panes) are found on each floor within plain openings. A view of Gloucester from around 1712 depicts the front with a central pediment; the existing doorcase and pediment are 18th-century alterations. The rear elevation displays raised bands at first and second-floor levels, irregular fenestration with sashes and glazing bars (mostly 3x4 panes), a low-level semicircular arched sash, and a larger semicircular arched sash above, both with glazing bars, illuminating the stairwell.

The interior contains high-quality 18th-century features. The entrance hall has decorative stone paving, fielded dado panelling, and fielded panel doors. The open-well staircase has a bottom curtail step and quarter landings, with open strings, carved tread-end brackets, panelled risers, twisted column-on-vase balusters (two to each tread, with four close-set balusters replacing newels), a ramped handrail, and a raised fielded stair dado. Principal rooms feature similar panelling. The hall ceiling, the stairwell soffits, and many of the principal rooms boast richly moulded plasterwork in a Rococo style dating from 1740-43, with modillion cornices and panels incorporating the swan crest of the Guise family. The stairwell ceiling is modelled in high relief, depicting Jupiter seated on clouds with an eagle, while other ceilings include heads in roundels. One room has a carved stone chimney-piece with a niche above. A large brick-vaulted cellar is also present.

The house has a notable history; it was sub-let to Robert Raikes senior from 1732 to 1757 (except for 1740-1743 when it was leased to Henry Guise), and later to Robert Raikes junior from 1757 to 1772. The property is of particular note for the exceptional quality of the plasterwork dating from the 1740s.