Belchester

Belchester

An 18th-century house incorporating earlier fabric from a peel tower, with later additions and alterations. A rear service wing was removed in the late 20th century. The building is asymmetrical in plan, comprising a 2-storey, 4-bay rectangular entrance wing with classically detailed porch, a taller gabled wing set at right angles to the south-east forming an L-plan, a lower 2-storey range at the rear enclosing a courtyard, and a single-storey ancillary structure adjoined to the north-west.

The walls are constructed of harl-pointed, tooled cream sandstone rubble, squared and snecked to the later wings. Sandstone ashlar dressings are employed throughout, droved in part. The south-east wing has a raised base course and the entrance wing features a moulded eaves course. Quoin strips are narrow in part and tooled rubble quoins elsewhere. Long and short rubble surrounds to openings have raised margins and projecting cills.

The south-west entrance elevation comprises a 4-bay wing with a projecting flat-roofed porch offset to the right of centre. The porch features a timber panelled door with flanking pilasters, corniced eaves and a blocking course, with a single window aligned at first floor above. The right bay has single windows at both floors. The left bay has a single window at first floor with an off-set single window at ground level. A small opening at ground level is followed by a single window at first floor in the subsequent bay to the left. A gabled wing to the outer right has a 2-leaf glazed door centred at ground with a 3-pane fanlight and a single window aligned at first floor, with a sandstone finial surmounting the gablehead. A single-storey ancillary structure adjoined to the outer left has a single window in the bay to the right and a single window in a gabled bay to the left.

The south-east elevation is 4-bays with regularly spaced single windows at ground in all bays and gabled windows breaking the eaves above. The north-east rear elevation is 5-bays with a part-glazed timber door offset to the right of centre and a single window at first floor. A bipartite window at ground in the bay to the left is accompanied by a single window at first floor. A gabled wing to the outer left has single windows at both floors with a sandstone finial surmounting the gablehead. A gabled wing to the right has narrow lights at both floors in the bay to the left, a bipartite window at ground in the bay to the outer right, a single window above, and a sandstone finial surmounting the gablehead. A single-storey ancillary structure recessed to the outer right has a timber door in the bay to the left and boarded timber garage doors to the right.

The north-west elevation is 4-bays with a part-glazed timber panelled door offset to the left of centre and a bipartite window at first floor. A single window at ground in the bay to the outer left is paired with a bipartite window at first floor. A part-glazed timber door in the bay offset to the right of centre has a single window above. A gabled wing to the outer right has a projecting single-storey ancillary structure adjoined at ground.

Predominantly 12-pane glazing is employed in timber sash and case windows, with modern skylights. The roofs are covered in grey slate with stone coped skews and iron rainwater goods. Corniced sandstone ridge and apex stacks with various circular cans complete the exterior.

The interior features an elliptical dome and fanlight in the hall. A timber panelled vestibule contains a fireplace with carved lovers' knots and duelling pistols, with a first-floor balcony above. Timber panelled doors serve the remaining rooms. Decorative plaster cornices and various fireplaces are throughout. The stair features carved timber treads, barley-twist uprights, a timber handrail and panelled walls.

A terraced garden to the south-east is enclosed by a coped rubble sandstone wall with a stone stair. A sandstone sundial with an octagonal base and table features a stop-chamfered, square-plan shaft with metal dial and gnomon in place. Plain iron railings enclose the site in part, with ball-finialled iron gatepiers and an iron pedestrian gate.