Castellmarch

Castellmarch is a substantial gentry house built in rubble stone with graded slate roofs, coped gables, and stone stacks. It comprises two storeys and a basement arranged in an L-plan with a projecting crosswing to the left of the east front. The house is dated 1628, as indicated by an armorial plaque above the main entrance.

The principal east front features a high ogee-moulded plinth and large moulded stone mullion-and-transom windows with leaded lights and hoodmoulds. The crosswing projects prominently and displays a large south-side-wall stack with paired 2-light windows on each main floor (appearing as 4 lights) and a 3-light mullion window without transoms to the attic. The north return has blank 2-light windows on both floors and basement level. The main range to the right contains a 4-window range of 2-light windows with the entry positioned in the third bay from the left. Access to the main door is via eight stone steps leading to a fine sandstone porch with two Roman Doric columns, a frieze, and a pedimental gable. The frieze above contains crudely fluted details with armorial plaques—four on the front and three on each side—with larger arms and the 1628 date positioned prominently. A dripcourse runs above the frieze, stepped over a central armorial plaque. The door itself is of studded plank set in a moulded doorcase with hollow and ogee mouldings and a Tudor arch, sheltered beneath a deep-coved hoodmould.

The north end gable wall is largely windowless except for a basement light. The south side, formed by the crosswing, carries the plinth around a massive external chimney and contains a one-window range of 2-light windows; the upper window is original whilst the lower is a 20th-century timber replacement within the original frame. To the left of this stack stands a lean-to porch with a first-floor 2-light window lighting the stairs (the left side blocked) and an attic 2-light mullion window above. A further added wing projects from this point, featuring a south-end stone stack and 20th-century windows on each floor to the east front.

The rear of the house presents a complex composition. To the right is a chimney gable with a centre 12-pane window in an older stone frame. A massive projecting chimneybreast rises to the right of centre, whilst an outshut extends to the left. Beside the chimney gable are 2-light mullion-and-transom windows on each floor to the extreme left; the upper is in stone and the lower is a 20th-century wood replacement. The chimneybreast rises high and sheer to eaves level before slating into shoulders and a broad shaft of large boulder stones. The outshut to the left extends beyond the left end of the house and contains a three-window range with mostly renewed windows. This extended section has a monopitch roof against a high rubble wall set at right angles to the house east end, buttressed at the northeast angle with a corner stack.

The interior is complex, with the main stair located in the south crosswing and a secondary stair inserted into the cross-passage from the front door. These features suggest considerable alteration to the main range. The secondary stair stands against a post-and-panel partition to the right, which obscures a shaped door-head; this partition appears to be reset and constructed from fragments including 17th-century carved balusters. The stone wall to the left of the entrance hall and the stone wall between the main range and crosswing may also be later insertions, the latter partly obscuring a rear window. The room to the left contains two large stop-chamfered beams positioned axially, suggesting they were similarly inserted along with the walls supporting them. The rearmost beam retains slots for a partition, which is unusual in this position.

The south end features a central large dog-leg oak stair with partitions on each side and shaped door-heads. The stair comprises two flights with solid treads and a thick moulded grip-type rail. Square carved balusters ornament the second flight, and tall moulded newels extend from floor to ceiling. A panelled cupboard beneath the stairs incorporates reused panelling, with the same pattern found in the window seat of the main room to the east of the stairs.

The first floor is said to contain moulded stone fireplaces in the main room of the crosswing and the south room of the main range. Plaster relief work above a corner fireplace in the crosswing rear room features a pilastered arch with arms within and a 1629 date. Similar work, dated 1628, appears above a corner fireplace in the north room of the main range. The roof over the crosswing is said to be modern; the other roofs were not inspected.