Walled Garden, Huntington House

Walled Garden, Huntington House

This house has late 17th-century origins and was substantially enlarged and altered around 1830, principally by the addition of a parallel block to the rear. The building is principally two-storey with three-storey elements in parts, and presents a complicated plan despite its symmetrical six-bay frontage. The main surfaces are harled with ashlar margins and quoins; the principal elevation features rusticated ashlar.

The front (south) block is symmetrically composed of six bays, with the two central bays advanced in gabled form. Between these central bays sits a doorway with a lugged and moulded architrave and carved pediment. The central bays are flanked by two windows with two windows above on the first floor and one small window in the gablehead. A further two windows occupy each side on each floor. The window reveals are chamfered with decorative hoppers. Gables to east and west both incorporate two blind windows at upper level; the west gable also has a single window at first-floor level plus a modern lean-to conservatory at ground level.

The east elevation comprises an assembly of buildings substantially original to the house, adjoining the main block in an L-shape around a small courtyard. This elevation is basically two-storey with a conical tower set in return, rising four levels. The variety of openings mostly features chamfered margins, including two doors, one of which accesses the tower and is studded.

The west elevation is dominated by the 1830s block, which protrudes one bay westwards from the rear of the main block. This addition features a string course and cornice, with a gable containing a two-storey rectangular tripartite bay window in droved ashlar. The first floor is heightened, and the block is flat-roofed with a simple parapet. A small bipartite blind window appears in the gablehead.

The rear (north) elevation is dominated by the continuation of the 1830s block, featuring two bays slightly advanced and gabled, incorporating a tall arched stair window with a central window in the upper gable. The elevation is otherwise plain and irregular, with lean-to additions to the north. Doorways and windows are irregularly placed and show signs of alteration.

The fenestration throughout is in timber sash and case, with varied glazing patterns. The front elevation uniformly features 12-pane windows. The west elevation has 12 and 8-pane windows to the ground floor and 15 and 10-pane to the first floor. The north elevation is mostly 9 and 12-pane with several iron rooflights. The east elevation is varied, including tiny openings in the upper tower.

The roofs are covered in graded grey slate. The front block is gabled with moulded skews and ball skewputts to the front and rolled skewputts to the rear. The central projecting feature has moulded skews and skewputts with a thistle finial. Ashlar coped stacks occupy the gables, corbelled outwards with decorative octagonal cans. The east elevation roofs are gabled with skews except for the tower, which has a cornice and steep conical roof with a lead cap. A stack to the south is corbelled in ashlar and coped with three decorative octagonal cans; the eastern stack is plain and harled. The west elevation features a moulded skew and skewputts with a plain finial. The rear elevation has moulded skews and rolled skewputts with corbelled stacks on the two advanced bays; otherwise stacks are harled with plain copes and cans.

Detached to the southeast of the house stands the walled garden, which is well-maintained. It is walled on three sides with a hedge to the west, built of rubble to a height of approximately 12 feet (4 metres) with a rustic cope. Two small lean-to sheds occupy the southwest corner, one inside and one outside the wall, both constructed of rubble with skews and single doors. The inner shed is roofed in slates; the outer shed is roofed in corrugated asbestos. The garden has doorways at the northwest and southwest corners, with margins dressed, raised and chamfered.