Laws House

Laws House

A later 19th-century house with subsequent additions and alterations, asymmetrically planned across two storeys with an attic. The building presents a 6-bay plain Tudor Jacobean design with gabled elevations and a single-storey wing to the outer left. The principal material is squared and snecked stugged cream sandstone with polished sandstone dressings. A raised base course runs along the front elevation, with an architraved string course above. At first-floor level, the windows have corniced, canted and projecting surrounds with moulded eaves in places. The quoins are stugged, as are the long and short surrounds to the chamfered openings; windows are fitted with sandstone mullions and chamfered cills. The gables feature gablet coping to the gable heads, with some finials remaining intact. A single-storey lean-to addition to the side, formerly used as stables, is rendered in whitewash.

The entrance on the north elevation is set in an advanced bay offset to the right of centre. This comprises a two-leaf timber panelled door at ground level with a plate glass fanlight and architraved surround. Above is a corbelled four-light canted oriel aligned at first-floor level, with a narrow attic light centred in the skewed gable above, though its finial is missing. To the right of the entrance bay stands a single window at ground level set back into a recessed bay, with a blind above. A gabled bay projects at the outer right, featuring a bipartite window at ground level, a single window at first floor, and a narrow attic light beneath a finialed gable. A tripartite window at ground level appears in a bay recessed to the left of the entrance, with a single window above. Further left, a bay contains a single window at ground and a bipartite window above, with a plain armorial shield centred in the surmounting gable head. At the outer left, a bay has single windows at both floors with a skewed gable above. The projecting single-storey wing to the outer left contains a bipartite window at ground level in a bay to the right, with a single window centred in a skewed gable above (finial missing). A bay to the left of this wing has a single ground-floor window.

The south elevation features two single windows at ground level flanking the centre, with a bipartite window centred at first floor and a small attic light in the surmounting gable head, whose finial is missing. A bay to the outer left contains four-light canted windows at both floors, topped by a bipartite attic light centred in a finialed gable. To the outer right, projecting tripartite windows occupy both floors, with a bipartite attic light in the finialed gable above. A single-storey wing to the outer right incorporates a small-paned door at ground level in a bay to the left, with a plate glass fanlight above. A gabled bay projects at the outer right, featuring a bipartite window at ground level and a blind niche in the apex, whose finial is missing.

The west side elevation comprises three bays. The central bay contains bipartite windows at both floors with a blind armorial panel centred in the surmounting gable head. The outer right bay has bipartite windows at both floors and a narrow attic light centred in a finialed gable. The outer left bay features four-light canted windows at both floors with a narrow attic light in the surmounting gable, whose finial is missing.

The east side elevation is dominated by a full-length single-storey lean-to addition, which includes a garage door offset to the left of centre, a single door offset to the right, and a single window in a bay to the outer right. Blind gables are recessed at first-floor level. A replacement red brick chimney stack is visible on this elevation.

Windows throughout are predominantly fitted with lying-pane glazing in timber sash and case frames; some eight-pane timber sash and case windows appear at ground and first-floor levels, with modern attic windows and various skylights. The roof is laid in grey slate with bracketed skewputts and cast-iron rainwater goods. Chimney stacks are of sandstone with linked polygonal flues, corniced caps and circular cans.

Internally, the hall features extensive timber dado panelling, a painted and panelled ceiling, and a plain cornice. The main stair is a dog-leg arrangement with panelled square-plan newels, barley sugar balusters, and a timber handrail. Ground-floor reception rooms are fitted with decorative cornices and painted and panelled ceilings. Timber shutters remain predominantly in place throughout, and various fireplaces are distributed across the floors. The upper floors show evidence of alterations and divisions.