Survey Data
Reg No
20827243
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social
Previous Name
Belfield
Original Use
Bishop's palace
In Use As
Bishop's palace
Date
1850 - 1870
Coordinates
179637, 66559
Date Recorded
15/08/2007
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Detached H-plan seven-bay two-storey over basement bishop's palace, built c. 1860. Comprising portico and projecting end-bays to front (west) and rear (east) elevations, those to rear having full-height bay windows. Box bay windows to north and south elevations. Hipped slate roof with rendered chimneystacks and overhanging eaves with brackets. Rendered walls with render plinth course. Render string course and pilasters to bay windows, rear elevation. Square-headed openings to centre-bay having render surrounds and replacement uPVC windows throughout. Those to first floor having render continuous sill course. Square-headed window openings with painted sills. Portico comprising moulded entablature, Doric-style pilasters and columns. Recessed square-headed opening with overlight and timber panelled door with flanking sidelights. Flight of rendered steps to entrance. Square-headed opening to south having overlight and timber panelled door with flanking sidelights. Cast-iron railings to basement level, front elevation. Pair of rendered square-profile piers to south-west having recessed panels, ornate caps and double-leaf cast-iron gates. Cast-iron railings set on rendered plinths terminating in second pair of piers. Pedestrian entrance to west comprising pair of square-profile painted render square-profile piers with single-leaf ornate cast-iron gate. Rubble limestone boundary walls to site.
Appraisal
Substantial house of architectural quality retaining much of its original form and interesting materials such as the slate roof. The doorway is particularly ornate with Doric columns framing the simple timber panelled door. The rear elevation is particularly interesting for its use of full-height bay windows with flanking pilasters. The boundary walls with ornate piers enhance the composition.