Fountain House

This is a mid-18th century house located in Beck Head. It is a two-story building with a symmetrical five-bay facade. The exterior is stuccoed with stone dressings and has a slate roof. It features a plinth, chamfered rusticated quoins, and a modillion cornice with a blocking course. The windows have plain stone surrounds and sashes without glazing bars. The doorway is distinguished by three-quarter Ionic columns, a pulvinated frieze, a modillion cornice, and a pediment, leading to a six-panel door and a rectangular fanlight. A low stone wall runs across the front, featuring small stone gatepiers and a wrought iron arch. The rear of the house is constructed of rubble with quoins and kneelers, and also features sashed windows with all glazing bars. A large staircase window has a plain surround; the lower half is sashed with all glazing bars, while the upper half is a fixed Gothick head with intersecting glazing bars, considerably wider than the jambs. A smaller staircase window with glazing bars illuminates the back stairs, and a plain doorway leads to a four-panel door with glazed upper panels.

The interior showcases a consistent blend of Classical and Gothick motifs. Doors and shutters throughout are of six raised and fielded panels. A front room on the left features an Ionic cornice and an elaborate wooden chimneypiece with a consoled cornice and Gothick cusping. A room on the right has a large, plain oval recess in the wall. The front hall and staircase are separated by a wooden arch with large frets on the jamb and soffit. A rear room includes a fitted cupboard to the right of an altered chimney breast. The main staircase has an Ionic modillion cornice and is a two-flight dogleg open string design with turned balusters, moulded brackets, and a ramped moulded handrail. An elaborate queue extends from a columnar newel, connected to another short rail and queue that leads to the back door. Other newels are square, panelled, and linked by trefoils. A parallel and adjoining four-flight dogleg closed string back staircase with turned balusters and a simple handrail also exists. A first-floor front room on the right has an elaborate wooden chimneypiece, possibly contemporary with a hidden inner chimneypiece with Rococo embellishment. The roof is a heavy collar design.