Prenderguest

Walled Garden, Prenderguest

A farmhouse dating to the 18th century in part, with substantial additions and alterations from the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is arranged in an L-plan with further extensions, presenting a symmetrical classical appearance to its main front elevation.

The main front block is 2 storeys tall with 5 bays, faced in sandstone ashlar with classical detailing. The side and rear elevations are rendered, as are the side wing and rear additions. The building features a base course and corniced eaves with a blocking course; rusticated quoins define the corners; and architraved margins frame the front openings.

The entrance elevation faces southeast. At the centre stands a round-arched entrance recessed slightly from the main wall. The timber-panelled door is reached by a step and is surrounded by a classical surround of engaged columns topped with carved busts, a decorative frieze, and a cornice. The original round-arched fanlight occupies the tympanum above, with side-lights flanking the door. At first floor level, a Venetian window is centred in the composition. Single windows occupy the remaining bays, positioned slightly recessed left and right. To the right, a recessed 3-bay wing extends at lower height, containing single windows at ground level in all bays and squat attic lights above them aligned vertically. A single-storey link adjoins to the left with a single window.

The southwest side elevation contains 3 bays at ground level and 4 bays at first floor. Single windows occupy 2 bays to the right of centre (blocked at first floor level to the left). A 2-light canted window corbelled to square sits at first floor in the left-centre bay. Canted windows appear at both floors in the outer left bay.

The northwest rear elevation shows the original block with a single-storey lean-to addition at ground level, above which sit single windows at both floors. A full-height wing projects to the outer right with single openings at ground and a single window at first floor offset to the left of centre. A lower service wing adjoins to the outer left, featuring a bipartite window in a single-storey piended projection facing forward.

The northeast side elevation presents the original 2-bay block recessed to the left, with single windows at both floors in the outer left bay. Blocked openings appear at both floors to the right, with a small window at first floor in the outer right bay. A projecting service wing adjoins to the right with a single window at ground level offset to the right of centre; a gabled window breaks the eaves; and a single-storey block extends to the outer right.

Windows throughout are predominantly 8-pane timber sash and case windows, with some plate glass and 12-pane sash and case windows; small rooflights are also present. The roofs are finished in grey slate with piended sections and sandstone ridging. Corniced brick-built wallhead stacks with various cans serve the building.

The entrance hall features timber-panelled doors with pilastered surrounds to the side-lights, decorative plasterwork and a ceiling rose, and a timber dado rail. The main dog-leg stair comprises sandstone treads, plain uprights, and a timber handrail. The remainder of the interior was not examined in 1998.

The walled garden to the west has an irregular 5-sided plan built of rubble walls. An ancillary structure adjoining the northeast outer wall is single storey, 4-bay, and rectangular in plan.

Rubble boundary walls partially enclose the site. The main entrance to the northeast is flanked by square-plan gatepiers of rusticated sandstone ashlar, crowned with corniced caps and ball finials. Plain 2-leaf iron gates and outer railings complete the entrance.