Monmouth House And Attached Walls And Railings

CHARD

ST3308 FORE STREET 756-1/4/76 (North side) 24/03/50 Monmouth House and attached walls and railings (Formerly Listed as: FORE STREET (North side) Monmouth House) (Formerly Listed as: FORE STREET (North side) Piers, railings and gates to forecourt of Monmouth House)

GV II*

House. 1770-1790. Stucco with painted stone plinth and dressings; slate roof with stepped stone copings and brick stacks to gable ends. Double-depth plan with central entrance and stairhall. 2 storeys with attic; symmetrical 5-window range. Steps up to 6-panel door under decorative fanlight set in doorcase with cornice and crudely-soldered metal columns. Platband and tripartite sash window above door. All windows have stone sills and keystones, those to the sides are 6/6-pane sashes. Cornice and low parapet with swept corners. The roof has been raised to accommodate a full-height attic with three C19 horned 2/2-pane sashes in a mansard roof. To the right is one-bay link block to Chard School (qv) of 2 storeys with 6/6-pane sashes over a through entry. Rear elevation has keyed semi-circular stairlight. INTERIOR: joinery includes panelled shutters, C18 architraves, early C19 panelled doors and late C18 mahogany doors to ground floor. Entrance hall has late C18 wheatear and bucrania frieze below moulded cornice and elliptical arches with enriched egg-and-dart carving, set on fluted pilasters. Stair hall to rear has inserted late C19 double doors, enriched mid C18, modillioned cornice and open-well stair with ramped handrail. Ground-floor room to left has mid C19 cast-iron ceiling rose, late C18 panelling and fluted dado rail and mid C19 enriched panelling; room to rear left has late C18 wheatear and bucrania frieze, room to right has mid C19 marble fireplace and enriched consoles to mid C19 inserted entry to rear room. First floor: C18 cornice and fretwork dado rail to centre; C18 neo-classical fireplaces and cornicing. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: spearheaded railings with urn finials on low stone plinth supported by Ham Hill stone piers to sides. These have recessed panels, raised key-pattern band below panels with swags and moulded cornice to flat top. Piers are connected to the house by high, painted rubblestone walls with flat coping. Piers and railings to forecourt listed on 29.7.76.

Listing NGR: ST3245108656