8, Market Place

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 04/09/2012

ST 6143 6/71

SHEPTON MALLET MARKET PLACE No 8

20.5.52

II* Town house. Early/mid C17. Doulting limestone rubble with plain tile roof, coped verges with finials and brick stacks set diagonally on stone bases. T-shaped on plan with main facade to south, two storeys with attic; irregular four-window range of two-, three- and four-light ovolo-moulded stone-mullioned windows with drip moulds. Doorways in chamfered stone architraves to each side. Similar mullioned windows to return gable ends, to rear elevation and to rear wing, mostly with drip moulds.

Rear elevation has inserted C19 doorway to inserted through-entry to left, below C17 window made into loft door; rear wing has blocked four-centred arch doorway to left and C19 keyed square-headed architraves to rear (north) gable which was rebuilt in the C19 when the C17 wing was truncated.

Interior: C17 stop-chamfered beams and collar-truss roof with butt purlins; winder stairs in original positions to left, to front of right axial stack and to right of stack at junction between main range and rear wing, which has blocked C17 fireplace with chamfered surround to ground floor and C17 ovolo-moulded fireplace to main range attic; right axial stack has C17 fireplaces, with chamfered surround to ground floor left and ovolo-moulded surrounds to upper floors, that to former great chamber on first floor having sunk spandrels; C17 ovolo-moulded doorframe to rear of axial stack on ground floor; remains of two stud partitions with stop-chamfered doorframes to attic.

The interior is particularly notable for the retention of a C17 scheme of internal decoration, consisting of lines and patterning in black on white. The most extensive area thus far identified is in the tall attic chamber of the south wing, with black-painted mouldings and skirtings and a geometrical design of overlapping circles to the fireplace lintel. Other fireplaces in the house have traces of black-and-white paintwork and is likely that more will come to light in the course of restoration. These paintings represent a very rare survival of a once common form of late C16/C17 interior decoration, and are additionally significant for their survival in association with a substantial town house of the period. (Report by Caroe and Partners, 1994).

Listing NGR: ST6194343620