Colby Lodge

To the N side of the house is a large gravelled forecourt, and to the S and W a garden ending at a ha-ha. The valley landscape beyond the ha-ha was formerly the private grounds of the house. To the W of the valley are C18 pitmounds now incorporated in the NT woodland gardens. To the E is a walled garden. Three-storied house ranging E/W with a lower three-storey wing at NE. Rendered and painted, with scored lines to imitate stone courses. Slate roof of low pitch with tile ridges and hips. Two chimneys, rendered. Brackets and a timber fascia at eaves. Sash windows of four panes in moulded architraves and with stone sills. The present approach front is the N, with a range of 3 windows. Single storey porch with a recently added semicircular portico of two columns and two pilasters. The garden front to the S is a range of four windows, including, at the third position, a tall stair window of sash type with coloured glass in margin lights. The main door beneath appears badly centred beneath it because of the loss of the porch. The doorway has recently-added pilasters and entablature. On the E and W end-elevations is a roundel feature in lieu of an upper window. The earlier house incorporated as a wing has three windows to the W elevation, including a tall round-headed stairs window centrally. White painted roughcast. Slate roof with a large chimney stack at the N end. Sashes with glazing bars. Later glazed doors. Its interior is completely altered. It has a cobbled yard to its E, with an old wash-house or laundry now used as a generator room.

The N side of the ground floor plan is occupied by a corridor. The stairs commence at this corridor. Four flights of easy pitch. Returned nosings over simple brackets, inch-square balusters, mahogany handrail swept at landings and coiled at the curtail step. A side corridor beneath the return flight leads to the S door. To the E is a former kitchen, to the W reception rooms now used as a drawing room and library. Stone-vaulted cellars beneath the E part of the house.

The drawing room has a decorative plaster cornice and at the E end an alcove flanked by curved doors and with two Corinthian columns and four Corinthian pilasters. The ceiling within the alcove has a groined centre panel flanked by fans. At the W end of the room a black marble fireplace with lotus capped pilasters and an overmantel mirror. The library has a black and white marble fireplace with early C19 decoration. A bedroom fireplace, not in situ, has the Colby arms and crest.