Tocknells Court

Tocknells Court is a country house of considerable architectural interest, comprising structures built around 1570 and circa 1640, with substantial modifications undertaken in 1716. It was probably built for Edward Tocknell or Walter Tocknell, and underwent significant reworking, especially to garden works, by George Newland in 1716. The house is constructed of limestone rubble with ashlar dressings and stone slate roofs.

The building consists of a long narrow wing dating to the late 16th century plus an L-shaped larger extension or modification of the mid-17th century. The entrance is located in the linking arm immediately facing the 17th-century stair.

The river frontage presents 2½ storeys plus a basement, with 3 windows and a double gabled form. Between the gables is a large inserted sundial with gnomon. At ground floor level are two 4-light casements with stops dropped from a continuous string course; to the lower left is a 2-light plain chamfer casement to the basement, with two small single lights below and flanking access stone steps leading to a central 2-panel fielded door under a flat hood on consoles. The first floor contains 3+2+3-light windows and a 2-light to each gable; all windows are recessed with hollow chamfer moulding under stopped drips and have leading. The gables feature saddleback copings continued as parapet copings beyond the gables on this front.

The south front includes an early gable of 2½ storeys with single light over 3-light over 2-light recessed ovolo mould casements, the first floor window having a stopped drip course. The gable has a saddleback coping and small square finial with ball finish. To the left is a small single-storey extension with an oval oculus and plank door. The wing return to the right has a 2-light ovolo-mould casement in a former door opening at ground floor, with a 3-light 20th-century hollow-mould casement above and a 3-light ovolo-mould casement, all under stopped drips.

The main entry front has two slightly uneven gables with various casements. The first floor features 8-pane sashes in 18th-century architraves. Ground floor right has a 2-light hollow-chamfer casement with drip mould continuing from the river frontage. A central fine 2-panel fielded door stands beneath a flat canopy with moulded edge on decorative brackets. Two lead downpipes with hopper-heads inscribed "GN" (for Newland) and dated 1716 are present, probably indicating the date of the door and hood. The north end has a coped gable and 2½ storey single window fenestration. The back elevation displays various ovolo-mould and hollow-mould casements. Ashlar stacks with moulded cappings are located to the south-east gable, at the back, to the right of the river block, and to the gable left of the 1570 block.

Interior

The stone-flagged entry contains a straight flight stair in polished pine with square newels, broad moulded handrail and turned balusters, returned to a straight landing and repeated to the upper floor. Beneath this is a stone part-winder stair to a stone-flagged basement. Adjacent to the basement stair is a small internal 2-light glazed opening from a single stone, lighting the wine cellar. To the left of the door is a second wide stone straight stair linking to the 1570 block, possibly part of the original construction.

The drawing room to the right features a large stone square opening with ovolo-mould fireplace, two deep chamfered and stopped beams, and direct entry from the river front. A painted fielded panel partition gives access to a further small room containing a broad very flat 4-centred arch stone Tudor fireplace, possibly from the 1590 build. The kitchen to the left and back has a stone floor, two 2-light hollow-mould windows, and a wide bressummer fireplace, possibly a 20th-century renewal. The parallel early block has deep chamfer beams to the later kitchen area, and a tack room in the extended unit contains a heavy chamfered and stopped beam.

The first floor bedroom over the drawing room contains a smaller but similar ovolo-mould fireplace flanked by a 2-panel door under a splat baluster ventilator. The smaller room beyond has a flat 4-centre arched Tudor fireplace as below. The study in the old block has two deep chamfered beams and a large late 20th-century fireplace in excellent Tudor replica form. Adjacent is a chamfered door frame with basket-handle arch and contemporary plank door probably dating to 1570, together with a part timber-framed partition. A secondary stair includes a north-facing 2-light small arched-head light from a single stone.

The roof is A-frame construction with diagonal ridge pieces and heavy principals; the rafters are mostly renewed. The building contains many 18th- or late 17th-century 2-panel doors, and some earlier moulded plank doors.

Tocknells Court presents an interesting mixture of architectural periods that requires full survey investigation to clarify its chronological development. Standing with its gates, walls, and farm group largely unaltered within the unspoilt landscape of the valley, it represents a significant example of vernacular country house development.