(Cross Tree House) Including Area Railings In Front

Cross Tree House, including area railings in front

A house dating to circa the early 18th century, possibly a remodelling of an earlier structure, with early 19th-century alterations. The building is constructed of roughcast, probably granite rubble, with a steeply pitched slate roof coated in bitumen and gable ends. It features a plain eaves board and moulded cast-iron gutter at the front. Rendered and bitumen-coated brick stacks rise from the right-hand gable end and run axially along the ridge near the left end.

The house comprises a main range of two storeys and attic with a three-room plan. An entrance passage between the centre and right-hand rooms leads to an axial passage behind, which provides access to the third room (kitchen) at the left end. An axial stack with back-to-back fireplaces serves the left and centre rooms, while the right-hand room has a gable end stack. The axial passage widens as a stair tower behind the centre room. A two-room wing separated from the main range by a passage stands behind the right-hand end; the first room has a lateral stack, and a plank and muntin screen and straight staircase divide the two rooms. A small outbuilding of circa the 18th century stands behind the kitchen with a loft on the first floor over an open-sided well-house on the ground floor. A shallow extension of circa the early 20th century was added behind the kitchen in the angle with the stair tower.

The front elevation presents a five-window range in a 1:4 arrangement. The four windows are symmetrical except for the doorway, which sits to the left of centre. Early 19th-century four-pane sashes with horizontal glazing bars only (other glazing bars having been removed) are set in flush sash cases. The wooden doorcase has panelled pilasters and console brackets supporting a moulded cornice canopy. The round-arched doorway features panelled reveals and a semi-circular fanlight with radiating glazing bars of coloured glass, with a panelled door below (bottom panels flush, top panels glazed). Three flat-roof dormers with slate-hung cheeks crown the front, and at the rear a large round-headed stair window at the centre features glazing bars. A shallow extension of circa the early 20th century stands to the right of centre. A small wing to the right has a loft supported on a granite monolithic post and an open ground floor with well and granite trough. A long wing to the left has a corrugated iron gabled roof and 19th-century casements on the side facing the churchyard.

The interior largely results from early 19th-century remodelling, though the kitchen retains a chamfered cross-beam, the right-hand room has a dentilled cornice, and many early 18th-century two-panel doors survive. The staircase is an early 19th-century open-well, open-string example with stick balusters. Panelled window shutters and doors are present, though the chimneypieces in the two principal rooms have been replaced. The large kitchen open fireplace appears to have re-used monolithic granite jambs. The rear wing features chamfered cross-beams and a re-used plank-and-muntin screen. The main range roof structure dates to circa the early 18th century; the roof over the rear right-hand wing is circa late 19th century.

The front area railings feature arrowhead shafts, cast-iron baluster-shaped standards, and gate-posts with their own finials, set in a dressed granite plinth.

The building's history records that a glebe terrier of circa 1600 mentions three ground-floor rooms with six chambers above. It remained a rectory until the early 18th century, then became the London Inn (later renamed the Courtenay Arms) for a short period. In the early 19th century it passed to a solicitor and continues as a private house.