Plas Ashpool

A 3-storey 4-window house in an irregular English Garden Wall bond with sandstone rusticated quoins. The roof is of slate with coped gables to front and rear, a large lateral stone and brickwork chimney to left and a smaller one to right. The house has 2 large gables to front and to rear: the front gables are linked by a parapet wall at mid height. The middle 2 windows of the top storey at front are within this parapet and are walled up in brickwork: it is likely that these were intended as false windows.

The windows of the ground and first storeys are of 12 panes and mostly of hornless sash type. The 2 top-storey windows are modern replacements. Six-panel main door right of centre with overlight and pedimented canopy on deep brackets.

The house has a low modern extension at right and the rear doors and windows are all modern replacements.

The house is planned with a central entrance hallway between the 2 main reception rooms; this has a limestone flag floor and a staircase to the rear with 2 quarter-landings and turned balusters. Six-panel doors to the main rooms. The drawing room at left is fully wainscotted and retains a fine Jacobean firplace with armorial overmantel. The fireplace has Ionic pilasters supporting an enriched ovolo. The overmantel is in 3 main panels separated by grotesque human and animal figures; one female holds a severed head, its ruff still attached. Above is a frieze with pagan-seeming imagery between brackets and a plain cornice. The main central panel features the Order of the Garter with Prince of Wales' Feathers centrally and the initials PC, and the side panels feature arms; that at right has the initials DA for Dorothy Ashpool.