Monkton House, Melksham Road,
Broughton Gifford, Melksham Without,
Wiltshire:
Statement of Significance & Heritage Statement
JME Conservation Ltd.
August 2015
1 JME CONSERVATION
Tel 01225 480 786 E-mail: [email protected] Mobile 07905 019 178 Web www.jmeconservation.co.uk
Research parameters: This Heritage Statement has been prepared to accompany applications for plan- ning permission and listed building consent for repairs and internal and external alterations to the main house, the formation of a swimming pool and the conversion of an existing garden building to a pool house at Monkton House Broughton Gifford, Melksham Without, which together with its attached garden walls is a Grade II* listed building in the open countryside.
The purposes of this statement are firstly to provide an assessment of the signifi- cance of the designated heritage asset, and secondly, to assess the impacts of the proposals upon the significance of the house, its attached garden walls and setting.
There are other ancillary structures within the historic curtilage of Monkton House including the outbuildings to the east on the garden boundary and northeast on the boundary with Monkton Farm, the garden building to the south and the stepped ter- races leading down to the river all of which are Grade II* curtilage listed buildings and the impact of the proposals on these structures will also be considered.
The statement does not provide a detailed historical appraisal of the site, nor does it record in detail the complete architectural development of the building. It pro- vides a proportionate assessment of significance for the purposes of understanding the significance of the designated heritage asset, its setting, and the impacts of the works in order to inform the current applications. This report is primarily based up- on a visual assessment of the heritage assets supported by sufficient additional documentary research to elucidate the results of the visual assessment. A full ex- amination of documentary and other sources has not been undertaken.
© The illustrations and information contained within this report remain the copyright of JME Conservation Ltd and may not be reproduced without written permission.
JME Conservation Limited Registered Company No 7480523 Registered office No 21, St. Thomas Street, Bristol BS1 6JS Directors: JM Enticknap BA Hons TP, MA Conservation Studies, IHBC; D Haigh BA Hons Arch & Ancient Hist, MA English Local History, AA Grad Dip Cons, IHBC, FSA Scot,
2 Monkton House, Melksham Road, Broughton Gifford, Melksham Without , Wiltshire. Statement of Significance and Heritage Statement.
Brief Description of Monkton House and its setting: There are several histories of Monkton House currently available of which the latest, written in 1993 by Pam Slocomb for the Wiltshire Buildings Record, is the most reliable and includes a detailed history of ownerships. The current assessment differs slightly in its phasing of the building and clarifies the 19th and 20th century history of the site. Archaeological research in 2014, and preliminary opening up works in 2015 have provided additional information which has informed this report.
Monkton House is a former manor house which, together with Monkton Farm lies in open countryside to the south of Broughton Gifford and west of Melksham between Melksham Road and the River Avon. Access to the site is via a long winding drive marked by a pair of modest stone gate piers with four sided gabled caps. The fields lining the drive are of rough grazing containing mature trees providing an almost park like setting with distant views of the house and adjacent farm. The house only comes into close view once the drive passes between two traditional stone rubble barns after which it opens into a wide circular turning area in front of the house.
Fig 1, The east front seen from the entrance drive. The formal gardens are concealed behind the high wall to the left and the main door is from the south reached via the imposing door into the garden. A door in the right hand gable of the lean-to opens into a small porch for the original front door that now serves the service rooms. The east elevation of the house is set behind a low stone wall enclosing a small paved yard accessed via a small wrought iron pedestrian gate. To the right (north) of the house is a small enclosed area of lawn set behind a stone rubble garden wall that defines the turning area in front of the house and links it to a small stone rubble 3
Fig 2, The gate piers at the entrance to the site appear to be of mid 20th century date, and are too small for their pedimented capitals which appear to have been reused. Erected after 1950 they are not considered to be curtilage listed.
Fig 3, The former stable and coach house seen from the west with a later lean-to extension on the right. The two larger openings have been converted to garaging with up and over doors inserted, whilst the former stable has been converted to a workshop. To the right are earthwork remains leading down to the river.
4 one and a half storey stable with an attached two storey barn on the north side of the turning area. These buildings are separated by a small field from Monkton Farm which was until the late 20th century in the same ownership.
Fig 4, Adjacent to the house is a second former stable and hayloft with the attached barn and lean-to garage. Just visible to the left of the garage are the roofs of the farm buildings of Monkton Farm, sold off in 1958. On the left (south) side of the house is an impressive 18th century rubblestone garden wall with an overhanging moulded stone coping incorporating a reset ashlar archway and a fine 17th century door. It runs from the south east corner of the house eastwards as far as the low stone garden wall in front of the house, before running at right-angles down to the river Avon. A blocked window adjacent to the
Fig 5, The east front with the stone arched garden entrance to the left. The high wall continues down to the river. The gravelled garden path leads to the current front door in the south gable of this range. 5 garden gate suggests this section of wall was originally part of a demolished outbuilding in the front garden of the house. This wall shields the formal gardens on the south of the house from the entrance courtyard and they are entered via a fine dressed stone semi-circular arched doorway containing a reset good quality historic cross-boarded and ribbed timber door.
Fig 6. The south front showing the garden gate to the right and the main entrance with its pedimented doorcase.
The gardens to the south front are arranged as a series of terraces stepping down to the banks of the Avon with a partly walled vegetable garden to the west and lawns to the west and north of the main house.
Setting: Although historically within the parish of Broughton Gifford, Monkton House is now within the modern parish of Melksham Without. Until 1958 the house and its associated farm formed a small estate at the southern edge of the parish almost
Fig 7, The view east showing the open rural landscape setting with the access drive just visible to the left, and the river Avon on the right. 6 1km from the rest of the village. Originally a small hamlet known as Little Broughton, which had its own chapel in the 13th century, the estate had been given to the abbey of Monkton Farleigh by 1166. Earthworks within the fields east of the house and higher ground to the north may indicate the site of this hamlet. Until the 20th century most of the fields of Broughton were pasture and the immediate surroundings of Monkton House are predominantly pasture fields within the flood plain of the river Avon, with some mature predominantly hedgerow trees. As a consequence there are extensive views over the surrounding open landscape except on the north side where the slightly rising ground and the spread of farm buildings associated with Monkton Farm restrict views.
Development of the building: Monkton House is constructed of coursed stone rubble with stone ashlar quoins and dressings, with prominent gables to the elevations and stone slate roofs. All the elevations are of two storeys and attics; and although constructed at different times, virtually all the windows have dressed stone surrounds with the same hollow chamfered moulding detail, stone mullions and label moulds. The irregular distribution of windows particularly within the north and east elevations reflect the antiquity of the building.
The east range: Approaching the house from the entrance drive the first impression of the building is of its informal appearance, simple detailing and deceptively modest scale, which is emphasised by the fact that the gravelled forecourt is at a slightly higher level than the house. The house is set behind a small paved yard fronted by a low stone wall.
Fig 8, The east elevation of the east range facing the entrance drive, with the buttress and lean-to on the left which replace a demolished projecting range; and a single storey range with a hipped roof added to the right, possibly replacing an earlier two-storey structure. 7 This elevation has stone mullioned windows, a double gable with stone copings and decorative finials, end stacks, and a stone slate roof. A single storey lean-to on the left hand side contains a boarded door in the centre which opens into a coal store, which is lit by a pair of 20th century 4-light casement windows. The remainder of the lean-to forms a small porch, which has a stone mullioned window set below the eave, which looks out into the small paved front yard and has its entrance door beneath a glazed fixed light in its north facing gable. Concealed by the lean-to is the historic entrance door with c.200mm wide boards set within a chamfered frame, above which are a pair of glazed lights set within a mullioned frame with hollow chamfers. To the left of this door, concealed by the adjacent lean-to coal store is a single-light round-arched window with hollow chamfers and sunken spandrels, which is of 15th century date, and provides the only light to the south room which was used as a pigsty with blockwork linings until these were removed in 2015.
Fig 9, The lean-to with the porch door in the gable Fig 10, The porch with the historic front door set in a and the door to the coal store beyond. The buttress stop chamfered doorway with a two-light stone mulli- can be seen beyond, cutting across the window. oned window above. Rising to eaves height to the left of the lean-to is a substantial 20th century buttress which extends from the south corner of the elevation as far as the lean-to and cuts partly across windows at both ground and first floor level.
Projecting in front of the right hand side of the elevation is an open fronted single storey range of stores with a hipped stone slate roof. Set at ground floor level between the single storey range and the porch are two two-light windows; the one to the left is positioned slightly higher and is a later insertion. Above this projecting
8 range and cut by its roof is a low blocked 17th century doorway tucked below the eaves. Its plank door survives behind the stonework. It has been suggested by the Wiltshire Buildings Record that this doorway led to a now demolished external open stair or demolished range. The windows have pairs of (later timber) casements separated by a stone mullion set within a hollow chamfered stone surrounds beneath a label mould. The only exception is a single light window at first floor level just below the eaves line at the right hand side of the left gable. This window has a simple stone ashlar surround without a label mould and is a later insertion.
To the left of this later window a vertical break in the masonry indicating a change in construction and the use of a blue lias rubblestone to the left of this break and for the gables above suggests that the left hand side of the elevation was rebuilt when the gables were added.
Fig 11. The east elevation showing the two blocked openings, over the lean-to and, partly cut by the roof of the projecting single storey range on the right. The single light inserted window at first floor level, the (later) raised ground floor window and the buttress partly blocking the first floor window can also be clearly seen.
The substantial buttress and adjacent lean-to at the south end of the east elevation replaced a range which ran eastwards along the garden boundary. Ordnance survey maps of the site indicate that this happened at sometime between 1900 and 1924. The south wall of this range survives as the garden wall and this incorporates a blocked stone chamfered window opening of late 17th - early 18th century date, which may indicate when the extension was constructed.
9 The principal elevation of the house is currently the south elevation, reached from the formal gardens on the south side of the house, through the imposing dressed stone garden door containing a fine 17th century cross boarded ribbed door.
Fig 12, The 17th century garden gate and stone ashlar gateway reused here. Note the blocked window in the adjacent garden wall which is all that remains of a demolished extension.
Looking from the garden towards the house, on the right is the older lower gable of the east range with the current main entrance door set off-centre at the junction with
10 the gable of the west range, which infills the space between the east range and the projecting stair tower on the south elevation of the north range,
The main entrance door surround has a fine moulded architrave with a triangular pediment. It contains a particularly good quality 17th century timber door with an applied large oval strapwork panel, with a central raised oval boss carved with the Thynne family motto, who acquired the property in 1669.
Fig 13, The 17th century front door. The door surround with its pedimented architrave is 18th century.
11 Fig 14, The south elevation with the older east range on the right, the later infill west range in the centre and the projecting stair tower on the north range just visible to the left.
Above the front door in the south gable of the east range is a two light moulded stone mullioned window with metal casements and leaded lights at first floor level above which is a single light attic window all of which are off-centre within the gable which is surmounted by stone copings and a rectangular ashlar stone gable stack with a moulded coping. The windows are located to avoid flues from the gable fireplaces.
The taller left hand gable of the infill range has a symmetrical arrangement of three hollow chamfered stone mullioned windows diminishing in width to each floor with label moulds and dressed stone relieving arches (unlike the rubble stone relieving arches found elsewhere) over the larger ground and first floor windows. The ground floor window has hollow chamfered stone mullions and transoms with leaded lights in direct glazing and opening metal casements below a stone label mould.
At first floor level is a four light stone mullioned window with one metal casement, and three fixed lights, all of which have diamond quarries; and a label mould over. The attic window has a similarly detailed three-light stone mullioned window with a single opening metal casement and with diamond leaded lights and a label mould. The gable with its stone copings has a decorative stone finial.
12 The west elevation of this middle range has a central projecting gable incorporating a tall external ashlar stack set at the south corner. This gable has an awkward relationship with the adjacent stair tower – it cuts the label mould to the ground floor window, and although stylistically similar, the west range is clearly a later addition.
Fig 15, The west elevation of the middle range on the right cutting across the stair tower to the left. The stair tower is of late 16th century date and the infill range is of 17th century date. The south facing elevation of the stair tower has a three light stone mullioned window with hollow chamfers below a triangular label mould at ground floor level and two further similarly detailed stone mullioned windows above. All have later timber casements and are set off-centre below a stone coped gable which has been truncated by the west facing external gable stack of the middle range.
13 The west elevation of the stair tower has an identical stone coped gable that over- sails the roof of the adjacent north range. It has two two-light stone mullioned windows with label moulds each with later timber casement windows lighting the half landings, and a single light attic window above. Although arranged above each other the windows are off-centre within the gable.
The south elevation of the north range is dominated by a central projecting gable with stacks to either side and a single light metal casement window at attic level with an ovolo moulded stone surround and a label mould. To the west (left) of this projecting gable stack the range has a single two light metal casement window in a stone hollow chamfered surround to both the ground and first floors and neither window has a label mould.
Fig 16, The west elevation showing the west gable of the 16th century north range, with the stair tower and later west range on the right. The gable appears to have been rebuilt at attic level in coursed rubblestone. The west elevation of this range consists of a single gable with a stone coping and decorative stone finial and a single centrally positioned window diminishing in size to each floor. At ground floor level is a substantial modern opening containing a pair of four panelled fully glazed French doors with plain rectangular stone ashlar surrounds with outer margin sashes each of two panes, also set in plain ashlar surrounds. The upper pane of each top sash has been altered to form a top hung opening light. The opening was widened when the French doors were added and the label mould was removed at the same time.
At first floor level is a four light stone mullioned window with a label mould with timber sashes to either side and fixed and top hung lights to the two inner lights. At attic level is a single two light stone mullioned window with a label mould with two
14 two-light casements. The masonry changes at attic level with larger dressed blocks changing to more coursed smaller rubblestone, suggesting that the attic gable has been rebuilt.
The north elevation demonstrates the complexity of the building’s development. On the left is the north gable of the earlier east range, with its substantial twin flued gable stack. An exposed timber trimmer marks the position of a substantial external oven whose foundations were located by the archaeological investigation carried out in 2014. Two projecting plat bands define the floor levels and the attic level has been rebuilt in ashlar and incorporates a small oval window with a date of 1647, perhaps indicating when this took place.
Fig 17, The North elevation showing the older east range on the left (rebuilt at attic level) and the twin gables of the north range to the right. The windows reflect differing floor levels and the exposed timber trimmer within the east range indicates the position of a demolished external oven. The gables to the north range are asym- metrically placed within this range and the central gable is slightly wider than that to the right perhaps because it rises from the side walls of the range, whilst the right hand gable is set back from the west elevation. To the right (west) is the twin gabled north range elevation which is set back behind the line of the east range. This has a pair of gables set asymmetrically within the elevation, the slightly wider central gable springs from the outer walls of the range and is approximately a metre wider than the west gable which is set back from the end wall of the range. Both gables have a single centrally positioned two light stone mullioned attic window with a pair of (later) timber casements set below label moulds. Below this the fenestration is seemingly randomly arranged but in fact reflects different floor levels within the building.
15 The westernmost gable has a centrally positioned two-light stone mullioned window to the east side with timber casements in the gable, and a similar off-centre window at first floor level. Adjacent to it is a slightly larger but similarly detailed window with later timber sashes, tucked below the eaves line of the stone slated roof linking the two gables. At ground floor level below but slightly to the right of the two first floor windows are a similarly sized pair of small timber casement windows in stone surrounds with label moulds with stone relieving arches set at high level within the rooms. Adjacent to the right hand window and central within the west gable is a larger three over three light mullion and transomed window with label moulds and with fixed leaded lights below a relieving arch. Remarkably the window is now a blind one with crudely placed stone rubble infill clearly visible through the glass.
Fig 18 The west end of the north elevation showing the high level of the ground floor windows with their slightly narrow relieving arches. It is unclear whether the right hand window has been deepened. The window has been blocked up with stone rubble on the inside. 16 The central gable within the north elevation is set back behind the line of the east range, and appears to have been built onto an earlier wall on the same alignment. A line of stone quoins rises the full height of the gable set back from the junction with the east range. It appears to be on the line of the west wall of that range which is slightly to the west of the gable end. Additional quoins have been toothed in when the twin gabled north range was added on in the late 16th century.
Fig 19, The central gable of the north range note the quoins concealed by the downpipe and the low level of the windows—reflecting the lower floor levels within this part of the building. The left hand window has been en- larged—extending beyond the relieving arch. The low level of the range of the ground and first floor windows in this central gable reflects the low floor levels which match those of the east range. The left hand ground floor window has clearly been widened as it extends beyond the line of the relieving arch. To the right of this is a smaller two light mullioned window with a label mould beneath a stone relieving arch which may represent the original dimension of both windows. Both windows are similarly detailed with hollow chamfered stone surrounds and identical label moulds. The remaining windows are similarly detailed although the single light first floor window appears a later insertion because it lacks a relieving arch.
17 Rising up the left hand side of this gable is a line of quoins facing both ways showing where the masonry of this gable was stitched onto the corner of the earlier east range.
The north gable of the east range has substantial dressed stone quoins and coursed stone rubble at first and attic levels with the floor levels defined by projecting moulded stone string courses. About half way across the gable an irregular vertical line in the stone rubble suggests one half of the gable was rebuilt, perhaps when the external oven was removed. The exposed timber trimmer at
Fig 20, The north gable of the east range projects beyond the line of the west wall presumably because of the substantial fireplace and stack. Note the change in masonry at attic level and the small oval light dated 1647. ground floor level marks where the oven was removed. The gable has been rebuilt in dressed stone ashlar above the second string course and this incorporates a small stone oval headed light carved from a single ashlar block, dated 1647. A substantial stone ashlar stack rises from the centre of the gable. The stone coping runs across the base of the stack and a single ashlar stack rises from the gable with
18 a decorative moulded cap from which rise two rectangular ashlar stacks topped by an overhanging stone cap and two clay pots.
Attached to the east elevation of this range is a single storey rubblestone and stone tiled hipped roofed outbuilding and store; it appears to be of 19th century date extends eastwards to the boundary with the entrance drive. A low stone boundary wall defines the boundary between the entrance drive and garden, and continues as far as a one and a half storey stable and hayloft with its adjacent barn that encloses the north side of the entrance court.
Fig 21, The east outbuilding seen from the north. It appears to be of two phases of construction with a vertical joint by the central downpipe. It is shown on the 1886 OS map and contains a store and WC. Interior: The survey carried out by the Wiltshire Buildings Record in 1996 suggested that the oldest part of the building was the east range and that it incorporates 15th century fabric but was largely rebuilt and extended in the late 16th century when the north range and stair tower were added. A 17th century phase of work included alterations to the attics. We suggest that this 17th century work included erection of the central infill range on the south side of the building that fills the gap between the east range and the stair tower but cuts across a stair tower window label mould and the creation of a new front door and entrance passage by the construction of a plank and muntin screen across part of the south room. A door from the new passage was later infilled and the screen plastered over. The house was substantially remodelled in the 19th century and altered in the early 20th century adding additional bathrooms and contemporary detailing. However the building retains an awkward layout and numerous changes in floor level. Whilst some of these reflect the changing ground level—the site rises to the west - it does not explain the very tall ceilings in the north range at first floor level. It is possible that the tall ceilings indicate where a vaulted or coffered ceiling had been removed in the 19th century.
19 Fig 22. The 1st edition O.S. map of 1886 shows the house in detail before the southeast range was replaced by a buttress. The garden has a glasshouse and the garden building has two extensions.
Fig 23. The site in 1900. A conservatory has been Fig 24. 1938 The two glasshouses have been demol- built on the SW corner of the house. The buttress ished between 1924 and 1938. appears between 1900 and 1924.
20 The east range has a three room plan form with a room on either side of a central lobby containing the newel stair. The left hand room was converted (after 1938) into a pigsty with blockwork partitions. It had previously been sub-divided in the 17th century when a new front door and entrance hall were created on the south elevation. In the 15th century this room would have been the best room with a fireplace (possibly the one in the first floor room above) on the south wall.
Removal of the pigsties in 2015 revealed the partition separating off the entrance hall is a plank and muntin screen with a blocked door at the south end. The single light east window in this room has been truncated - originally by the now demolished range, and following its demolition, by the substantial buttress. The window into the plank and muntin screen separating off the entrance hall is modern.
Fig 25. The truncated 15th century Fig 26, The pigsty before removal of the blockwork linings. The room window lighting the former pigsty was sub-divided by a plank and muntin screen to provide a separate en- with the later buttress on the left. trance hall in the early 17th century. The ceiling beam is 16th century.
Evidence for the early date of this east range comes from this 15th century single light window with its decorated spandrels, and from the thickness of the ground floor part of the east wall. The first floor structure, with its deeply chamfered ceiling beams, is of early - mid 16th century and the newel stair reached from this central lobby was added at this time. When the new entrance hall was formed in the 17th century this lobby provided direct access into the new hallway until the opening was blocked when the newel stairs were altered in the 20th century.
The north room was the kitchen and this was sub-divided by the insertion of a partition in the early 20th century - presumably at the same time as the lobby entry to the stairs was blocked, in order to provide a separate corridor to the rest of the house.
21 This room was always the kitchen and has a substantial stone arched fireplace with a deep chamfered reveal and a second arched opening to the right which was for a large oven or smoke bay that projected beyond through the gable wall. This had been demolished by the date of the 1st edition OS map of 1886 and the opening reduced. This smaller opening held a second boiler in the 1938 sales particulars.
Fig 27, The two substantial fireplaces with deep chamfered stone arched openings. There was a large external oven or smoke chamber to the rear of the right hand oven but this had been removed by 1886. Note the stop chamfered beam above the fireplaces.
Fig 28, The cupboard to the left of the fireplace is made using mismatched doors (17th century panelling to the left and 18th to the right). In the 19th century a fireplace for the adjacent room was built into the wall behind. 22 The cupboard to the left of the fireplace has a mismatched pair of reused 17th and 18th century raised and fielded panelled doors. The stone arched fireplaces and deeply chamfered ceiling beam in this room confirm the 16th century date.
The newel stair: The upper floors in the east range were served by a timber newel stair, accessed from the central lobby. There would doubtless have been a small window in the rear wall lighting the stairs, and the splay on the wall opposite indicates its likely position. The stairs were remodelled when the new 17th century entrance hall cut across the newel stair which was now partitioned off. The stair may have originally
Fig 29, The newel post showing the empty mortices for the stair risers at ground floor level. On the right is the reset head of an historic door supporting the stairs over modern boarding; initially thought to conceal a possibly infilled cellar, the opening up suggests that this is incorrect. 23 continued down to cellars below, and a reset 16th century timber arched head for a doorway survives propping up the remodelled stairs. Modern flooring prevents access to what may be an infilled cellar although this appears unlikely given the lath and plaster partition visible just beyond the door head.
Perhaps disappointingly we are not persuaded by the 1938 sale particulars that state … A small oak door (the door under the stairs) gives access to the entrance to a former “secret passage” believed in ancient times to communicate with an adjacent monastery, and another interesting feature is the oval inner window.”
It is probable that the first floor rooms in this range were originally accessed from the central lobby as on the ground floor. This changed when the stairs were remodelled to accommodate the new entrance passage, and access was required at first floor level into the new extension. At this level the newel stair only provides direct access into the south room. This contains a fine 15th century fireplace and the remains of 17th century decorative plaster to the ceiling and cornice that is clearly later because it cuts across the decorative cartouches over the fireplace. The brickwork infill and hearth are of mid 20th century date.
Fig 30. The fine 15th century fireplace, perhaps moved from the room below in the 17th century when it was sub-divided for the new entrance passage. The ceiling cornice and other plasterwork is of 17th century date. There is a small wall cupboard in the east elevation adjacent to the two light window. Its butterfly hinges suggest a 17th century date and, looking from the outside, the cupboard is in an area of wall that has been rebuilt - perhaps when the east gables were added.
24
The northern first floor room has a simple stone fireplace with a plain four centred arched head with 17th century stop chamfers and an 18th century mantleshelf. Immediately adjacent to this fireplace is a low blocked doorway in the east wall with a chamfered arched head. Subsequent removal of the plaster infill has revealed an in-situ 17th century plank door and timber frame, which would have led to an external stair or extension. Part of this room was partitioned off in the early 20th century to form an entrance lobby and separate WC. Above the fireplace in the north gable is the ghost of a roof truss for a lower roof, and it is suggested that this shows the 15th century roofline and that the low height of the door in the east wall reflects the low eaves height of the 15th century roof. It is likely that the roof was raised in the early-mid 16th century as part of the remodelling of this range, and altered again when the prominent gables were added to the east elevation in 1592.
Fig 31. The North first floor room in the east range, with its 17th century fireplace and blocked door in the east wall hidden by the mirror. Subsequent removal of the plaster has revealed an in-situ timber door and door- frame (see page 26). Within the gable wall is evidence of framing associated with the 15th century roofline.
At attic level the newel stair emerges into a small lobby with a heated chamber to the right, (south), and an unheated attic room to the left. The heated chamber has a coved plaster ceiling with deeply moulded ribs meeting at a central boss. It contains a blocked fireplace with a depressed four centred chamfered arched head and pedestal stopped chamfers half way up each side. The detailing suggests that this room was remodelled when the east gables were added as part of the 1592 work. The roof structure to the north attic bed room retains its principal trusses, although the ridge beams are now missing; the end bay has been partitioned off, and has a new roof structure. 25
Fig 32, following opening up in 2015. The blocked first floor door on the east elevation survives in-situ behind the stone infill. It is of 17th century date and may well be contemporary with the adjacent fireplace although it is surprising that it lacks the same ornate stops to the chamfers.
26 The Interior - the later extensions: It is suggested that in 1592 - the date carved on the corbel in the stair tower, the North range and stair tower were added on the west side of the east range (probably replacing an earlier side extension which explains the lower floor level in
Fig 33. The shallow vaulted ceiling with plaster ribs and a central ceiling decoration of late 16th century date in the east range reached from the top of the newel stair. The radiator is in the blocked late 16th century fireplace.
Fig 34. The awkward junction between the east range and the 1647 extension is nowhere more obvious than on the first floor. As part of the 19th century remodelling, the ceiling heights to this landing and adjacent rooms were raised, the landing floor was raised and a reused section of 17th century stair links the different levels. 27 The historic development of the building: All previous studies of the house have considered that there was a single phase of extension in the form of an L-shape that was earlier or later than the east range depending upon the interpretation of the two dates carved in the building. These are a date of 1592 on a timber corbel in the stair tower and the date stone of 1647 in the north elevation of the east range. Both may have been reset but are appropriately positioned within the building. Suggested phase plans are shown below. They agree with the Wiltshire Buildings Record that the east range was the earliest, which was raised in the 16th century from one and a half to two stories
Fig 35. suggested phasing for the development of the building. Minor changes are omitted for clarity high. The 1592 alterations see the stair tower and north range added, but unlike the previous studies it is suggested that it is only in the 17th century (1647) that the central south facing range is added giving the building its current complex form with several changes in level. Please note the minor 18th century alterations, principally the south front doorcase and dining room panelling are omitted for clarity.
28 this area). The next major change came in 1647 when the middle range was built infilling the gap in the south elevation, and the new front door was formed.
Fig 36. The finely detailed inner porch doors and reset 17th century panelling in the entrance hall, with the 18th century dining room beyond
It is suggested that during the 15th and early 16th century the building had a single bay extension on the west of the kitchen - perhaps a dairy, which explains why the ground floor in this area is at the same lower level as the east range. This extension was then replaced or incorporated into the new north range with its projecting stair tower and it is likely that there was a new front door into the new extension - either into the stair tower where the current opening is, or more likely into the current lower hall.
The middle range on the south elevation was a later insertion cutting across the label mould of the stair tower window. This is likely to have been part of the 1647 work which probably also included the creation of the current main entrance at the south end of the east range, and the removal of the south wall of the north range to create the lower hall. The 18th century alterations include the remodelling of the front door and the adjacent dining room, whilst the late 19th century and early 20th century alterations remodelled the service area and the west drawing room.
It is suggested that there were 16th century vaulted plaster ceilings at first floor level similar to those in the attic rooms that were removed in the late 19th or early 20th century and that this resulted in the oddly proportioned very tall first floor rooms over the lower hall. The repairs in the early 20th century included buttressing of the east elevation, whilst the mid 20th century saw minor remodelling including the
29 conversion of the ground floor store to a pigsty, and alterations to circulation within this range, the formation of the inner glazed entrance porch, the introduction of additional bathrooms and the French doors in the west elevation.
The main entrance opens into a small lobby with well detailed glazed gun-stopped doors of late 19th or early 20th century date. This opens into a narrow entrance hall created (possibly c.1647) by subdividing the south room of the east range with a plank and muntin screen. A door opened into this room but was later blocked and the screen plastered over and the bench seat installed and lined below dado level with much restored 17th century panelling. At the end of the entrance passage is a reused door to the cupboard below the stairs. Beyond is the remodelled newel stair, cut through for the new entrance passage.
Fig 37. The site of double doors separated by a partition, whose line can be seen in the paved floor. The right hand door opened onto the entrance hall. The left hand door opened into a corridor to the east range and stairs. The projecting few steps are of late 19th or early 20th century date, and block the original stair entrance in the east range, which was also partitioned off from the later ranges. Substantial hinges for doors survive, showing that the doors opened inwards and the line of the partition closing off access to the newel stair still survives in the flagstone floor. This additional security presumably reflects general nervousness during the English Civil war.
30 It is assumed that this arrangement remained until a new doorway was opened into the dining room adjacent to the south entrance probably as part of the 18th century
Fig 38. The 18th century remodelling of the dining room with its panelling surviving. The top of the display cup- board to the left of the fireplace was boxed in by the previous owners in the 1950’s (dated on the stonework). taken in 1950’s by previous owner).
Fig 39. The lower entrance hall showing the late 19th century remodelling dividing what appears to have been a single large room into service spaces. 31 works. The 1938 sales particulars also refer to a circular window in the entrance hall. This must either have been to light the pigsty or set in the missing partition dividing the entrance hall from the newel stair.
Fig 40. The scullery and adjacent office showing ashlar and stud partitions with mid19th century joinery, includ- ing 4-panelled doors.
Fig 41. The 17th century boarded door into the central hall, seen from the scullery. The door to the left is 19th C.
32 Opening off the entrance hallway is the dining room, remodelled in the early 18th century with its well detailed panelling, although the cupboard to the left of the fireplace has been altered for service runs. The timber floor is a later replacement.
In its present form the lower entrance hall appears to reflect largely 19th century alterations with inserted stone ashlar and plastered partitions with 19th century joinery; and with remnants of a late 19th century corner fireplace in the former Servants’ Room. The exception is the door into the scullery from the entrance hall which is constructed from a reused pair of hinged 17th century plank shutters converted to form a door. The doorframe is 19th century in date.
Fig 42. The panelled door from the hall showing the hinges (17th century) fixed to the outer face instead of the rear of the door and therefore cut through the strapwork and the added 17th century door lock
Looking from the entrance hall the door is hung the wrong way round with the hinges fixed to the face of the door and cut through the decorative strapwork and an applied lock that is purely decorative. The panelling to dado height is 17th century but has been reset round the entrance hall with the dado cutting across the door architraves to the dining room and scullery.
33 The opening into the stair tower, like that into the north range beyond, is a large plain plastered opening without any detailing or skirtings. Both appear to be 20th century alterations and the original detailing is unclear.
The staircase within the stair tower is much altered; the turned spindles survive at attic level, but have been replaced by lath and plaster infill for the lower flights. Looking at the underside of the stairs at ground floor level the lower flights have been largely renewed and there appear to have been two phases of repair. The earlier phase included the replacement of the spindles with lath and plaster and these panels are constructed using handmade nails suggesting an early or mid-19th century date for this work.
Fig 43. The reset panelled door and frame now leading to the under stair cupboard. The adjacent section of newel and panelling is also reset. The lath and plaster infill to the stairs replaced turned balusters in the 19th C. 34 The resetting of the ornate 17th century carved panelled door and surround (with an 18th century dentilled cornice) and of the bottom newel and panelling is likely to have happened at the same time as the panelling in the hall and in the first floor drawing room was reset and this is suggested as all part of a careful antiquarian remodelling of the interior in the late 19th or early 20th century. A later phase of repairs to the stairs involving the use of modern metal straps, softwood, and chipboard is clearly of mid-late 20th century date.
It is unclear where this substantial finely detailed door and frame came from, but it is possible it was reset from the adjacent large blank opening leading to the west end of the building. Given the blocked late 16th century window in the north wall of the west morning room, and the bare stone rubble faced walls behind the 20th century hessian lining, it is likely this part of the building contained a single large high status room which was originally panelled, and this doorway is all that survives.
Whilst the original layout here is unclear, the space was sub-divided in the late 19th century or early 20th century when the raised boarded floor was inserted and the corridor and service room partitioned off from the new morning room. The window in the north wall would have been blocked at this time because it no longer worked with the raised floor, and it is suggested that the service room was partitioned to form a bathroom and store after 1938 because they are not mentioned in the sales particulars. This may have been one of several bathrooms formed during the War when the house was requisitioned.
Fig 44. The west drawing room (The Morning Room) with early 20th century detailing. The walls were battened out and lined in hessian and wallpaper, the window and fireplace were changed in the early 20th century. A sketch of 1808 shows three-light mullioned and transomed windows to the west drawing room and the first floor drawing room. The 1938 sales particulars show the
35 ground floor window enlarged to its current size, with the hood mould removed, and the introduction of sash windows. It is unclear when these became French doors.
Fig 45. The Buckler drawing of 1808 showing what appear to be deep three-light mullioned and transomed windows in the west elevation.
Fig 46. An anonymous drawing dated 1905, which although less accurate shows four light windows in the west elevation, with the ground floor hood mould still surviving . These had been altered again by 1938. 36 Fig 47. The 1938 sales particulars show a wider tripartite window with pairs of sashes to each section.
Recent opening up has shown that the walls were relined in hessian in 1960, presumably because of ongoing damp problems; and the cornice, fireplace and picture rail added. The panelling may have been removed as part of these works.
Fig 48. The first floor with the ornate door to the landing to the left and the plain opening to the lobby serving the panelled drawing room in the foreground. The door on the right is a modern one made from floor boards.
37 At first floor level another reset 17th century door case, matching that to the dining room in the ground floor inner hallway, opens into the first floor landing. A plain opening leads into a small lobby which in turn opens into the first floor drawing room which has 17th century panelling reset round the walls.
Fig 49. The panelled drawing room. Note the upper row of panels does not tie into the lower panels. The fire- place has been reset in front of the panelling, and the vertical infill panels are differently detailed.
Fig 50. Here, the upper panels tie in with those below, but all three doors are hung upside down - and the verti- cal infill panels round the doors differ - some are moulded others are plain. 38 Superficially an unaltered 17th century room, in fact all the panelling has been reset - although the sections are made up with care, and numerous details - the shutters concealing windows, the small side closet and the inner and outer doors show this was a careful antiquarian exercise rather than a straight forward repair. Given the awkward relationship between the window in the north elevation and the current partition, it is likely that the room was sub-divided to provide a separate narrow store as part of the remodelling.
Fig 51. One of the two first floor taller rooms. Note the unusually deep window and the 19th century door archi- trave, In the early 20th century the partition visible in this photograph was inserted to form an additional W.C.
Fig 52. Inside the raised landing with late 19th or early 20th century sawn joists above, the original floor below and laths for plastering on the north wall of the landing before it was decided to raise the floor & conceal them.
39 The first floor landing from the stair tower opens into a series of bedrooms set at two levels, linked by an altered 17th century staircase. At the higher level landing a door on the south side opens into a bedroom in the 17th century infill range. At the lower level, a pair of doors on the north side open into a tall bedroom and a W.C. partitioned off from the bedroom in the early 20th century. These rooms have awkward proportions with high ceilings. The corridor links through into the east range at the back of the newel stair.
Whilst this bedroom and the adjacent W.C. have late 19th century detailing, it is suggested they were originally one larger room with a low vaulted plaster ceiling, like those surviving within the attic; and that these vaulted ceilings were stripped out in the 19th century remodelling, with flat ceilings added at the higher level.
Until the 17th century infill wing and the first floor landing was constructed, this large first floor room would have been accessed via the now-blocked doorway within the lobby room adjacent to the panelled drawing room.
Attic floors: It is only at the attic level that the historic detailing of the stair tower (fig 47) survives, showing that the stairs originally had finely turned balusters and were of particularly high quality. The stairs rise past a half landing on to a small attic room lit by a stone mullioned window and with a small blocked in fireplace in one corner.
Fig 53. The fine turned spindles which would have been the historic detail for the stair as a whole with the attic landing behind with, in the distance, a high quality plank and muntin skeeling cupboard. The board fixed against the wall on the left may cover a small fireplace. 40 From the half landing a stair branches off to serve the attic landing that serves the adjacent attic rooms within the main roof. It has plastered walls, and high quality
Fig 54. The small attic room accessed from the head of the stairs.
Fig 55. The vaulted western attic room with corner cupboards at the springing for the vaulted ceiling. The use of the small recess below the south window is unclear. 41 joinery, including a plank and muntin partition to a cupboard, and it is possible that there is a small fireplace currently concealed by a board adjacent to the stair.
To the left (above the first floor panelled drawing room) is the westernmost attic room has a good quality vaulted plaster ceiling, corner cupboards set below the springing for the ceiling, and windows to three sides making this a well lit space; and the quality of the detailing shows that despite being attic rooms attic rooms these were high status spaces. A plank door on the other side of this landing, leads to two interconnected attics beyond, although these were clearly not intended for occupation as they lack plastered walls and ceilings. The roof structure here incorporates historic fabric, including a reused mediaeval truss, presumably from the east range or other earlier structures on the site.
Fig 56, The reused medieval roof truss within the attic. The plaster partition in the distance appears heavily restored and may have been partly rebuilt following installation of the two water tanks in the foreground.
Significance: As a Grade II* listed building Monkton House is considered to have high significance. This derives from its early monastic association, the architectural evidence for the continuous occupation of the site; and the high quality of much of the surviving architectural detailing. Externally, the east elevation gains significance from being most publicly visible, and indeed the first elevation of the house to be seen. However the immediate setting of this range with its later extensions and additions means it “reads” as being a subservient range. It nonetheless has particular significance because of the evidence it provides for the antiquity of the range, and the extent of alteration throughout its history.
The south and east elevations, are considered to have comparable significance. Looking at the south elevation, the scale and symmetry of the later wing is
42 considered to contribute most to significance, emphasising that this range contains the formal internal spaces. However, the most important feature on this elevation is the high quality door and doorcase; this later insertion with its visually-awkward position reflects two phases of alteration, and contributes to an understanding of the series of changes to the house.
The larger windows and symmetry of the west elevation of the north range is similar to that of the south range, and both reflect the importance of the rooms they serve as principal internal spaces. Whilst some harm to significance resulted from introduction of the French doors, this is not immediately obvious in the important views to both elevations from the southwest. From this perspective, the wings are seen in relationship with the stair tower and the arrangement of the architectural forms is both formal and picturesque, making a strong contribution to the significance of the building and its setting within the private garden area.
Whilst the north elevation appears to have least significance, it provides valuable visual evidence for the changes in floor levels, and also for later alterations to the building. The awkward positioning of the windows in this elevation suggests an earlier form of the building which remains unclear and this potentially gives the elevation added significance.
Internally, at ground floor level the later alterations have resulted in most of the floor area being subdivided into a series of small spaces; only two principal rooms remain, both of which have been the subject of later changes. Of these the south dining room has high significance, because of the quality of the early 18th century panelling. The mid-19th century alterations to the west morning room have been the subject of later alterations, although (together with the adjacent hall and service area) it retains evidence of the earlier phases. In its current form, the rather incohesive assemblage of detailing has reduced its significance, and at best this room is considered to have low-medium significance.
The kitchen is considered to be the next most important space because it retains the original ovens. Generally, the significance of the remainder of the ground floor relates to the surviving evidence for the changes to the building; this includes the survival of high quality early features (doors and panelling etc) although these have lost some of their significance because they are no longer in situ. Within the north range, the service areas which separate the morning room from the kitchen have least significance, being simply detailed spaces formed from 19th and early 20th century partitioning. Whilst they provide evidence for the arrangement and function of these spaces, their significance remains low.
At first floor level, the panelled drawing room is considered to have greatest significance, because of the high quality of the 17th century panelling. Even though a close inspection suggests that this is an antiquarian reconstruction, it “reads” as being designed for the space and is likely to have come from elsewhere within the building (possibly the ground floor south room?). The south east bedroom is also
43 considered to have high significance, because of the quality of the 15th century fireplace, and the associated late 16th and early 17th century plasterwork within the room. Generally, the other bedrooms are considered to have medium - high significance and the survival of the original fireplaces makes a valuable contribution to their significance; although the extent of alteration in the high - ceilinged north rooms means these are only considered to have medium significance.
One would usually expect the attic areas to have less significance, reflecting their utilitarian use and also perhaps the presence of lower status bedroom accommodation. In this case, the panelled south east bedroom is considered to have medium-high significance, reflecting the quality of the detailing and of the decorative plaster ceiling. In the attic areas to the north, the plastered room only has medium significance, because it is a less complete decorative scheme, and the plasterwork detailing lacks the quality of that within the SE attic room.
Generally, the quality of the surviving joinery to the landing, including the original boarded boor with its thumb latch, the late 16th century balustrade to the stair and the cupboard detailing contribute most to significance, together with the survival of earlier fabric within the late 16th and early 17th century roof constructions.
The Garden buildings:
The garden wall and door: Defined on its eastern side by the substantial rubblestone garden wall and on the west by a hedge, this area of semi-formal planting consists of a series of informal
Fig 57. The south garden looking back towards the house. The garden wall is on the right and in the fore- ground are the paved steps leading down to the river edge. 44 lawned terraces stepping down towards the river on either side of a central gravel path with beds on either side. The garden wall is of stone rubble and is approximately 3m tall with a fine dressed stone saddleback coping, although at the south end it is slightly lower and adjacent to the river has a cock and hen capping. It has two garden gates. That nearest the house is a reused ribbed door in a stone ashlar surround which is of early 17th century date. The second door approximately half way along its length is a simple 20th century ledged and boarded door beneath a timber lintol. The wall is considered to have medium significance, and to make a positive contribution to the immediate setting of Monkton House, separating the more publicly-visible public views from its private grounds.
A footpath centred on the south entrance door leads towards the river, with a small flight of steps down into the water. The footpath passes through a stone wall which, together with a small stone outbuilding described in the sales particulars of 1938 as the former brewhouse, and an adjacent rectangular vegetable garden subdivides the south garden from the lawns to the west of the house.
The Brewhouse: The small outbuilding is constructed in rubble stone, with a slated roof and a gable stack. It is two bays, and almost square in plan. It has three-light windows to the north-west and south east elevations (the former is blocked). Its East facing elevation has a small lean-to extension abutting a slightly off-centre door, set within
Fig 58. The former brewhouse seen from the east. Much altered, it lacks internal fittings although the first floor and simple staircase survives. 45 a small partly walled in cobbled yard defined by stone walls with a two-light window above lighting the attic space overlooking the yard.
Internally it has a stone flagged floor; and a set of steps leading to the attic space. The roof structure has cut back ends to the purlins with a ridge piece supporting the rafters, suggesting a late 18th or early 19th century date. It is described in the 1938 sales particulars and also in the WBR as a former brewhouse; although there are no fittings which confirm this use, and the number of window openings suggests that at some time it may have been used as staff accommodation.
Fig 59. The interior of the brewhouse showing the absence of surviving internal fittings. None of the details sug- gest an earlier date than the late 18th century.
Significance: Currently there is no clear evidence to prove that this building was originally a brew house. In the absence of such evidence, it is considered that this simply-detailed building has low to medium significance, although it makes a positive contribution to the private garden setting of the house.
46 Monkton House - The proposed alterations and their impact on significance:
General: The building has suffered from years of minimal maintenance and as a consequence comprehensive repairs are required to bring the building back into good repair. These repairs will be accompanied by a number of sensitive alterations to better meet the needs of the new owners by ensuring that the existing accommodation works more practically.
External repairs: It is proposed to overhaul all the roof coverings and make any necessary repairs to the chimney stacks, including repairs to stonework, replacement of chimney pots and vented caps to redundant flues. All the rainwater goods, which are currently largely defective, formed from a mixture of materials and of inadequate section, will be replaced in cast iron, fixed using traditional brackets.
The stonework to all elevations will be carefully repaired in accordance with best conservation practice, using appropriate lime mortar mixes and finishes, and with stonework replacement kept to a minimum. This will include the careful repair of the damaged dressed stonework to window and door surrounds. Where new extract vents are required to serve new bathrooms etc, they will be concealed behind natural stone louvred vents.
Internally, many of the stone window mullions have been encased within timber boxing, to which the timber windows are attached; and these need to be removed in order to repair the mullions. Following the repairs, all the existing timber casement windows will be replaced with new metal windows incorporating a mix of large panes and diamond and square paned leaded lights. All surviving historic leaded lights will be carefully repaired, retaining all sound historic glass and lead cames.
Impact: It is considered that these limited and necessary repairs will have a neutral impact on significance. Initially it had been intended to replace all the timber casements with the same leaded light detail, however the scheme takes on board pre- application guidance, and proposes a mix of square and diamond paned leaded lights and larger glazed windows, to reflect the known-history of change here, and to retain the surviving evidence for the 19th and 20th century phases of alteration.
It is felt that this pragmatic approach provides a more unified appearance to the principal building whilst it respects current national guidance on restoration, as set out in Historic England’s publication “Conservation Polices and Guidance”, in that there is clear evidence that the historic windows were originally leaded. Moreover, the same stonework detail has been used for all the later 19th century and 20th century window openings. Whilst it could be argued that use of timber casements would differentiate these later windows and reflect the sequence of changes to the elevations, their later date is already clearly identifiable because they have larger
47 proportions than the earlier window openings. In the context of this building, therefore, it seems sensible to replace the timber windows in these later openings with metal framed leaded light windows, as part of an overall unified scheme.
On the later extension to the east elevation, and also within the outbuildings, timber casements will be retained. It is felt that this proposal satisfies the test set out in section 130 of Conservation Policies and Guidance where ‘The heritage values of the elements that would be restored, decisively outweigh the values of those that would be lost.’ It is considered that this element of the proposals will have a neutral -positive impact on significance.
Other external alterations:
East elevation: It is proposed to remove the existing substantial and unsightly buttress, and undertake a far more conservative structural repair to stabilise the historic fabric on the southeast corner of the building, and in accordance with the structural engineers’ recommendations. Following the removal of the buttress, the ground and first floor windows which are currently partly blocked by the buttress will both be repaired and reopened to their original size. The length of the lean-to porch will be reduced, to expose the ground floor window, so that the south east room can benefit once again from natural daylight.
Remnants of the historic render/limewash finishes on this elevation may be affected by the repairs, but as much as possible will be retained and colour washed to match the stonework. The existing door on the east elevation of the porch will be replaced with a wider boarded door; and the entrance door in the north wall of the lean-to will be removed and the wall built up in ashlar. The timber windows will be replaced with large-paned metal windows.
Impact: It is considered that these alterations will have a substantial positive impact on the significance of this most publicly-visible elevation, by reinstating the original form of the historic fenestration within two of the most historically important rooms within this part of the house.
The hipped roofed eastern single storey store: The small partially-open-fronted hipped range extending eastwards at the north end of the east elevation (shown on the NE and NW elevations) will be re-roofed with new natural stone slates. The existing open section of its south facing elevation (shown on Section A, drg 14.1307/29) will be infilled with matching salvaged stone, incorporating a new vertically boarded door and larger-paned timber casement windows. The range will used as a plant room and outside W.C.
48 Impact: This proposal will enable the outbuilding to serve a useful function. The proposed detailing of the alterations will reflect the later phase of alterations to this building, and will have a neutral impact on significance.
North elevation: An external soil vent pipe will be located to serve the first floor bathrooms and a new AGA vent (if required) will be inserted.
Impact: It is considered that the introduction of the SVP on this least prominent elevation of the building will cause less harm to significance than trying to run this pipe internally, because at ground floor level it would be taken down within the principal west room which is considered to have greater significance. The sensitive provision of modern bathroom facilities is an essential element of the works to this neglected property, which it is felt offsets the minimal harm to significance arising from this proposal.
Proposed Internal works:
General: In order to inform the proposed internal works, listed building consent was obtained for an initial phase of opening up works. This has informed the preparation of this second phase of works and the resulting information has been incorporated into the accompanying Heritage Report. This application also included removal of some 20th century fixtures, most notably the blockwork pigsties within the ground floor Southeast room, as well as the removal of paintwork from dressed stonework and joinery details. Consent was also obtained for the most urgent stonework repairs.
The opening up works have identified various structural defects, including inadequate support for many floor joists, failure of a number of timber lintols and failure of some elements of the roof structure. The locations of these defective areas are highlighted in turquoise on the drawings. All these will be carefully and sensitively repaired in accordance with the recommendations of the structural engineer and the repairs have been designed to minimize loss of historic fabric whilst respecting the special character of the building.
A new heating and electrical system will be installed throughout the building, which currently lacks central heating, and care will be taken to minimise any harmful impact on historic fabric. Where possible, pipes will run parallel with floor joists, and where it cannot be avoided they will be taken through holes drilled within the centre of joists towards their outer ends.
Except where described below, existing floor finishes will be repaired with inappropriate modern interventions replaced to match the historic floors. Damaged historic lime plaster finishes to walls and ceilings will be carefully repaired in the traditional manner, although all new partitions will be in modern construction.
49 Historic detailing will be carefully repaired, including historic joinery and carpentry and associated historic metalwork and fittings.
Other Internal Alterations:
Ground Floor: At present the ground floor of this house only has two principal rooms, and the remaining rooms have been the subject of 19th and 20th century alterations in order
Fig 60, The mid 20th century kitchen partition sub-divides the former kitchen and historic doorway into the rest of the house. 50 to provide a series of smaller service rooms and hallways. The current proposals seek to make alterations to these later interventions, to create a more usable layout which respects the earlier plan form whilst providing more useable family rooms.
The east range and central north range: The first part of the Heritage Report explains that early 20th century alterations to the lower part of the rear newel staircase, had blocked the original access from the older east range through to the rest of the house. This resulted in the need to subdivide the former kitchen and make other alterations in order to create a new access passage. It is proposed to reinstate the historic form of the staircase, and reopen the blocked opening between the east entrance lobby and the main hall.
The 20th century partition (see Fig 60 above), will be removed from the kitchen, and this room will become a sitting room. The 20th century infill within the substantial kitchen fireplace and adjacent former bread oven will be carefully removed, and the fireplaces will be repaired. Although the infill is largely 20th century in date (it incorporates modern bricks) this opening up will be recorded during removal. It is intended to set a wood burning stove within the larger fireplace, with a separate flue and register plate.
Fig 61, The mid 20th century blocking within the kitchen fireplace which is to be removed reinstating the historic form of the fireplace.
Impact: These works involve the removal of 20th century interventions, with no loss of earlier fabric, and will reinstate the historic form of these spaces. Overall, they are considered to have a neutral impact on significance.
51 New dining room: The opening up works have shown that the room to the west of the kitchen was subdivided in the mid to late 19th century using stone ashlar walls to form the small room (until recently used as an office) with its corner fireplace, and a scullery. Removal of some of the plasterwork has shown that the original doorway between the historic kitchen and the adjacent small office was partially blocked as part of the works to form the new access passageways in the 20th century; and these alterations subdivided the space further to form a small lobby leading into the small office and scullery, with a step up into the main hall. Introduction of false ceilings which cover the 16th century ceiling beams, and the introduction of a reused timber door leading from the main hall into the scullery, probably form part of the same phase of works.
Fig 62, The opening up shows that the fireplace to the office has been reset entirely on a mid 20th century con- crete base; and the cast iron mantel is also a later addition. The ghost of the 19th century stone lintol is just visible in the plasterwork above. Just visible below the modern floor joists to the left are the stones of the original thicker north wall cut back in the 19th century when the fireplace was first inserted. 52 The ashlar walls forming the office have all been underpinned in the late 20th century, and a suspended floor and a replacement fire surround with a miss- matched iron mantel were introduced at the same time, probably as part of repairs following the collapse of the 19th century inserted chimney stack. The ashlar partition was also covered in a cement slurry and bituminous (waterproofing?) material.
Fig 63 The modern suspended floor and concrete underpinning within the office. It presumably replaced a rot- ten timber beam and floor.
Fig 64, Removal of the mid 20th century lath and plaster ceiling in the office has revealed the historic ceiling structure which is to be repaired following removal of the softwood bearers. Note the late use of lath & plaster. 53 It is proposed to retain the ashlar partition forming the scullery, but to seal the door from the small lobby. The 20th century partitions forming the lobby, together with the infill in the doorway leading into the historic kitchen (proposed Sitting Room), will be removed, and the enlarged area will be used as a Dining Hall. The suspended floor within this space will be replaced with an insulated limecrete floor finished with stone flags and incorporating underfloor heating; it will line through with the adjacent stone flagged floors in the sitting room and former lobby; the existing step up into the Main Hall will be retained. A more appropriate fireplace will be introduced, and the lath and plaster ceiling will be repaired. The former scullery will be used as a utility area, with a new partition introduced to form a W.C. Access to this room will be from the existing door off the main hall, and the concrete step down into the room will be removed, and the existing cement floor will be replaced with a new limecrete floor, finished with timber boards on battens and levelled through to the main hall. Existing cementitious and bituminous finishes on the ashlar partition will be carefully removed, and the ceiling within this space will be carefully repaired. . Impacts: Historically, these rooms formed part of a single large room, and the existing small spaces within this part of the building are all damp, mean and uninviting with limited practical value within the house. Initially it had been intended to remove all of the partitions to re-establish the volume of the 16th century space for use as a dining hall, however officers from Historic England and the Council expressed concerns at the loss of these service rooms, and the contribution they make to an understanding of the domestic offices within the house. However, there are no alternative locations within the house which lend themselves better to use as a formal dining area. This compromise solution involves the removal of fabric of low architectural significance. It retains the essence of the later subdivision of this space into smaller service areas, but has a positive benefit when looking from the inner hallway towards the Dining Area, because it provides a sense of the historic proportions of the space prior to its late 19th century and early 20th century subdivision. It also enables the historic doorway to be brought back into use, and this, together with the sensitive repair of the ceilings and other finishes, and insertion of a properly-detailed fireplace will all have a positive impact on the significance of these spaces.
Southeast room: Removal of the blockwork pigsties within this room has revealed that the partition separating this room off from the main entrance hall is a plank and muntin screen, incorporating an infilled door opening, adjacent to the south wall. This has been plastered over on both faces presumably when the door was blocked and the bench seat installed against this wall in the entrance hall. The date of this screen is unknown however a 16th or 17th century date is appropriate, and the screen matches those surviving within the attic.
Part of the plastered face of this partition within the southeast room was lost when the pigsties were removed, and it is proposed to carefully remove the remaining
54 plaster finish and to repair the plank and muntin partition. The existing modern fixed glazed light in this screen will be replaced with a glazed light set in a more carefully detailed surround. The plaster finish will be retained within the hallway.
Fig 65. Detail of the newly exposed plank and muntin screen of 17th century date in southeast room.
Following removal of the large buttress it is also proposed to carefully restore the 15th century stone mullioned window on the east elevation to its original form as a two light window.
Impact: It is considered that restoring the historic form of the screen and unblocking the second light in the 15th century window will have a substantial positive impact on significance.
The Northwest range and main staircase: The opening up works confirmed that the balusters to the 17th century main staircase were removed as part of 19th century alterations. It is proposed to remove the lath and plaster infill and reinstate the balusters matching those surviving at the upper level, but detailed to enable the under-stair cupboard to be retained. This stair hall will be separated from the northwest range by the introduction of a pair of well-detailed doors beneath a glazed light within the existing large poorly detailed opening.
Currently this opening leads to an inner hall, which in turn leads into the west-facing Morning Room; and what was a single tall north-facing room with a central door opening, and windows set high above the ground, but which was sub-divided (almost certainly after 1938) to form a bathroom and store. It is proposed to remove all these studwork and plaster partitions, including the east wall of the Morning Room, in order to form a single large kitchen and informal dining area.
55 Fig 66, The Morning Room following opening up works. The hessian and wallpapered lining was carried be- hind the skirtings, fireplace and cornice, and the works were dated on a batten to July 1960. Its removal has shown the extent of the original fireplace.
Within the Morning Room, the opening up works have indicated that the lath and plaster partition between the hall and service spaces is no earlier than late 19th, and possibly of early 20th century date, whilst the lath and plaster partition sub-dividing this room has sawn laths and modern small headed nails and is considered to be post-1938, because the bathroom is not mentioned in the sales particulars of that date.
The date of the partition between the Morning Room and the hallway and service rooms remains unclear, however it post-dates the raised timber floor and also this partition cuts across the splayed window reveal within the adjacent store room. Its construction suggests a late 19th or early 20th century date and it may be contemporary with the inserted timber floor. The doors into all these rooms have matching architraves, which also match the architrave to the French Windows to the Morning Room; and this opening was altered to its present form between 1905 and 1938, (see Figs 42-44 in Part 1 of the Heritage report). There is a fine 17th century deep 3-light mullioned and transomed window on the north elevation, which retains its original leaded lights externally, but is blocked internally with stone rubble.
This evidence suggests a late 19th or early 20th century date for the works; and whilst it is entirely feasible that the alterations were undertaken in more than one phase of works, the opening up has established that all of the current detailing
56 within the room is all part of a later scheme of decoration, as the hessian and wallpaper covering is taken behind the cornice, skirtings and fireplace. There is an oak lintol and straight joints to each side of the fireplace, showing its original size; and the blocking to the historic window on the north wall includes sections of concrete. An inscription on a section of battening which carried the hessian indicates that this work took place in July 1960.
Given the absence of historic plaster finishes beneath the hessian and the fact that (apart from the French Window), all the window openings are set at high level, it is likely that this room was originally panelled, and that there were window seats, furniture or storage set below the windows. There is a fragment of stone flag beneath the suspended floor structure, indicating that it also originally had a stone flagged floor.
In order to form the new kitchen/informal dining room, it is proposed to remove all the partitions. The raised timber boarded floor within the Morning Room and adjacent section of hallway will be removed and the floor will be replaced with a new limecrete floor with underfloor heating, covered in stone flags to match the remainder of the flooring here. The cornice, skirtings and the heavy painted stone fireplace and hearth within the Morning Room will be removed, and the blocked 17th century window will be reopened. A new fire surround and hearth will be installed, with the flue adapted to allow for the installation of a new wood burner. The walls will be either replastered using lime cork insulating plaster, or covered with well- detailed timber panelling with appropriate amendments to detailing.
Interestingly the suspended floor is supported on sections of salvaged structural timbers, some of which have decorative moulding suggesting that the floor was inserted at the same time that demolition of other 17th century framing was taking place elsewhere on the site. These timbers will be carefully recorded following removal, however they appear to be too heavily damaged by beetle and wet rot to be capable of reuse.
Impact: Historically, this area appears to have been a single large space opening off the 17th century stairs, and the partitions and decorative scheme within the Morning Room are not high quality, and the opening up works has shown it to have lower architectural significance than was initially felt to be the case. Nevertheless the removal of (possibly) late 19th century and early 20th century partitions will cause minor harm to significance, primarily because it will remove evidence for the historic (19th century or early 20th century) arrangement of the domestic service areas.
Within the history of the house this period of alterations is of only limited importance and currently the service rooms are mean, poorly lit, damp spaces with limited usability that add nothing to the significance of the house other than clarifying when earlier historic elements were stripped out. Preserving these spaces in their current form adds little to the significance of the house, whereas reinstating what appears to
57 have been a single historic space with more appropriate detailing as a more usable space as part of a comprehensive and carefully considered programme of repairs would have long term benefits for this important historic building.
The south (former dining) room: Within this 18th century panelled room, the opening up-works have shown that the oak floor joists to the suspended floor have deteriorated badly due to a combination of wet rot and death watch and furniture beetle infestation. This floor has solid internal walls on three sides, and it is impossible to provide adequate ventilation to a traditionally-detailed suspended timber floor. Whilst there is no evidence of this, it seems likely that the floor to this room was originally stone, and that the suspended floor was introduced in the 18th century in association with the panelling.
Fig 67 The defective 18th century dining room floor structure. Note what may be a blocked doorway closed up when the panelling was inserted. It is proposed to replace this timber floor with an insulated limecrete base with underfloor heating, finished with timber boarding laid on battens. Apart from addressing the damp problem, this solution will enable heating to be discreetly positioned without harming the panelling. The damp has also caused damage to the lower sections of the panelling and skirtings, which will need to be repaired in association with the works to the floor.
A close inspection of the fireplace has shown that the stonework infill and hearth are 20th century alterations. They are poorly detailed and the stonework is deteriorating. It is proposed to remove this modern infill and restore the fireplace opening and hearth, to enable it to be used for open fires.
58 Fig 68, The clearly inserted 20th century stone infill and hearth within the dining room fireplace.
Impact: The removal of the traditional suspended floor will cause some loss of significance. Given the difficulties of providing a ventilated floor here, it is felt that this approach will retain some of the “spring” of a traditional suspended floor. Use of engineered boards will also allow the use of underfloor heating to provide an even background heat, which it is felt would be far better for the panelling than a system relying completely on radiators.
Generally, these proposals are considered to have a neutral-positive impact on the significance of the room.
Alterations to first floor:
East range and central north range: It is proposed to form a master bedroom suite from the rooms within the east range. The bedroom will be within the south room, and as described above, following the removal of the external buttress and associated repairs, works here include the reinstatement of the partially-blocked east window. It is also proposed to carefully repair the plasterwork and stonework to the fine 15th century fire surround (with associated restoration works to the fireplace and original hearth), and repairs to the plasterwork detailing on the ceiling, including the cornice which was crudely repaired following the introduction of the buttress.
59 The floor here has been over-boarded, and these modern boards will be removed to expose the surviving historic floorboards; these will be retained with any defective boards replaced with matching boards. The door frame to this room has stopped chamfers, and the opening up works have exposed an identical frame leading into the existing en-suite bathroom. The existing (re-used) door leading from the hall into this room will be replaced with a more appropriate wide boarded door.
Currently the central room is divided to form a pair of bathrooms, with the second bathroom opening into the hallway. These studwork and plaster partitions appear to be of early 20th century date (they have smaller nail heads). It is proposed to reinstate this as a single room by removing the central partition sub-dividing the space and repositioning the partition forming the entrance lobby into the northeast room to provide a larger space for a centrally positioned en-suite bathroom. The partitions enclosing the spiral staircase will be retained unaltered as will the historic partition between the central room and the southeast bedroom.
Fig 70, The partitions in the outer hall and to the first floor bathroom above incorporate large headed nails and differ from the handmade nails of the 19th century partitions and fine headed nails found in the later 20th centu- ry work. These partitions are thought to be part of the 2nd World War alterations when the house was let to the Ministry of War and are associated with the provision of additional bathrooms and W.C.s A new door will be formed from the en-suite into the northeast room which will become a dressing room. The opening up works within this room have revealed the surviving 17th century door in the blocked east-facing outer wall, and this will remain exposed. The works have also revealed straight joints on the west wall, which provide further evidence for an earlier range to the west; and these will be recorded. Defective, missing and modern sections of plaster will be carefully
60 renewed in lime plaster. Apart from relocation of the door mentioned above, the only other proposed alteration within this room is the removal of the inserted late 19th century fire surround within the fireplace and the fireplace made good.
The adjacent room to the West, was partitioned in the early 20th century, to provide a narrow W.C, accessed from the hallway. This space will be subdivided to form a laundry room retaining access from the hall, and a new door opening formed through the 20th century partition to provide direct access from the bedroom into an en-suite shower room behind it. The modern door leading into the adjacent bedroom will be replaced with a more appropriately detailed door.
Impacts: It is considered that the repairs and alterations within the master bedroom and dressing room will have a positive impact on significance. The opening up works have shown that the lath and plaster partitions between the bathrooms and the hall, and also between the hall and the north bedroom, are identical to the late 19th or more probably early 20th century ground floor partition on the ground floor forming the service room and Morning Room described above. The partition between the two bathrooms is mid-20th century and is poorly made with an ill-fitting door and doorframe.
It is considered that these partitions, inserted to create separate bathrooms and W.C.s have low significance; and the very minor harm arising from the loss of these partitions is more than offset by the works of enhancement and sensitive repair to the adjacent rooms. The 19th century fire surround is considered to relate poorly to the fine late 16th century fireplace, and its removal and associated remedial works to the fire surround will have a positive impact on the significance of this feature.
The Northwest range and main staircase: Apart from the works to the staircase described above and replacement of poor quality modern bathroom fittings, no works are proposed.
The Southwest bedroom: It is proposed to remove the late 19th century cast iron grate and stone infill and undertake the necessary repairs to the original fireplace and hearth identified following removal of modern paint finishes. This fireplace is asymmetrically located in the fire opening, and rather crudely inserted into the historic fireplace, using ashlar stone infill.
Impact: It is considered that its removal and associated careful repair of the historic stonework surround will have a neutral - positive impact on significance.
The West Range: The former anteroom to the Panelled Drawing Room will be altered to form a new bathroom.
61 Impact: It is considered that this alteration will have a neutral impact on significance.
Second Floor:
East range The south room, with its fine vaulted plaster ceiling, will become a bedroom with the adjacent attic room to the north becoming a large bathroom and dressing room. The existing store room within the north end bay will be retained. Within the south room, only limited but necessary repairs will be undertaken to defective stonework and to the ceiling and floor joists. The fine plaster ceiling will be carefully examined and consolidated where necessary.
Within the north room, the existing 20th century partition between the attic store (area 1 on survey plan) and the bathroom/dressing room will be replaced but will remain in its existing position. The SVP serving the new bathroom will be carried through the roof void above the first floor shower room below and the services for two other new bathrooms on this floor will also connect to the existing foul drainage connection serving this first floor room.
The other attic rooms to the west (Attic stores 2 and 3 on the survey plan): Attic store 3 (the central one) will be sub-divided to form a landing and two bathrooms. One bathroom will serve as an en-suite for a new south-facing bedroom, formed within attic store 2 reached via the existing doorway through the existing plastered partition. A second bathroom at the north end of this central range will serve a new west bedroom across the attic stair hall.
A new door will be formed into the south bedroom from the new landing area through an existing plaster partition. This partition appears to have been partly renewed perhaps when the adjacent water tanks were installed in the mid-20th century and it is considered that a new doorway in this location would be an acceptable compromise.
The new bathroom formed on the north side of the central attic would be used by a the third bedroom in the vaulted west room on the opposite side of the attic stair hall. In order to minimise loss of fabric, rather than interconnect the spaces it is proposed to enter the bathroom through a door on the north side of the new lobby.
For practical reasons it is considered necessary to introduce new insulated ceilings within the central attic spaces to make the new bedroom and bathrooms usable spaces. However the ceilings and skeeling cupboards will be formed in a reversible way which will have minimal impact on historic fabric and they will be carefully ventilated to reduce the risk of moisture penetration and condensation from the bathrooms and heated spaces.
62 The exposed stone rubble walls within the central attic area will be coated with a lime slurry which will still enable the stonework to be read within the spaces whilst providing a more appropriate finish within what will become habitable spaces. The t historic principal roof strusses within the landings will however remain exposed.
As already mentioned the west room will become a bedroom. The vaulted plaster ceiling within this room is less well detailed and is currently suffering some deflection. The cause of this movement will be fully investigated and, following the provision of adequate support to the ceiling it will be carefully repaired. At cornice level, this ceiling overhangs the walls and cupboards, suggesting that the walls may historically have been panelled.
It is proposed to introduce new panelling, although in recognition on the more simple detailing which survives here the panelling detail will be based on the vertical oak boarding to the skeeling cupboard on the adjacent landing. The existing wire mesh door leading into this room, as well as the similar door to the small proposed study at the top of the stairs, will be replaced with wide boarded ledged oak doors.
The clearly long neglected small south facing attic room at the head of this stair will be carefully repaired and used as a study.
Impact: The proposed interventions will involve the formation of one new doorway within what appears to be a restored historic partition, and the concealing of sections of the historic roof and floor within these bathrooms and new lobby. However, apart from the opening these alterations will be reversible. It is considered that these changes will result in only minor harm whilst bringing the attic spaces back into effective use. This harm is considered to be offset by the public benefits arising from the careful repair of the attic rooms and historic staircase which have suffered from long term neglect.
Alterations to curtilage listed outbuildings:
Driveway and gate piers: The site entrance to Monkton House lies beside a curve in the road, and visibility for cars using the access onto the road is poor. Most of the boundary is enclosed by a hedgerow, although immediately to the east of the driveway is a length of drystone wall, which abuts one of a pair of stone piers which mark the site entrance. The wall and piers are modern and were apparently erected after 1950. It is proposed to take down the wall and piers, and to make minor alterations adjacent to the road to improve visibility onto the road. The gate piers will be relocated midway along the driveway, by the bridge over the river; and will support a pair of automated gates.
Impact:
63 This scheme does not affect any historic fabric. It will improve visibility, and therefore highway safety, at the road junction. Provided the gates are well-detailed they will have a neutral impact on the setting and significance of the listed building.
Stable and coach house to east of courtyard: This range, which lies adjacent to the entrance drive on the south east side of the entrance courtyard, has not been inspected internally. On the east elevation of this range, there are two large openings - on the principal building and attached lean-to - which have up-and-over garage doors. These will be replaced with side-hung vertically-boarded painted timber doors. It is also proposed to install solar panels or slates on the west-facing lean-to roof.
Impact: The roof is not visually prominent and is not seen in relation to the house, and will not affect its significance. The other alterations will have a positive impact on significance.
Former stable and garage to North of courtyard: This is a one and a half storey building with a lean-to side extension, and is a later addition to the range of historic farm buildings and outbuildings which encloses the north side of the entrance courtyard. It has not been inspected internally, but externally it is considered to have low significance. Externally, it is proposed to replace the existing up-and-over metal garage door in the lean-to with a pair of traditionally-detailed side hung painted timber doors.
Internally, the lean-to will become a boiler store, and will house a new wood-pellet boiler. The flue to serve this will have to be carried externally through the roof slope. If necessary an existing glazed opening in the gable apex of the attached barn will be direct glazed shut. The existing corrugated metal roof will be replaced in natural slate.
Impact: The external flue will cause some minor harm to significance, but this is the most discreetly placed ancillary building in relation to the house, and the harm is also offset by the public benefit resulting from the use of a sustainable source of energy for the house. Moreover in this location the flue will not compromise any future scheme of conversion to the adjacent barn.
Alterations within the garden: It is proposed to introduce a fountain within the lawned garden area to the west of the house. This part of the garden is separated from the kitchen garden area to the south by a c.2m high hedge. It is also proposed to construct a swimming pool within the well screened vegetable garden, making use of the adjacent Brewhouse to house the associated facilities and equipment. The remaining part of the kitchen garden to the south will be carefully landscaped, and will include the introduction of
64 a new timber garden shed for tools and potting-up; with the introduction of solar panels or solar slates on its south-facing roof slope.
It is also proposed to erect a loggia at the bottom of the south east garden area, by the river. This would be set against the lower section of the stone boundary wall, and would be constructed in stone with a stone tiled roof, and with an open fireplace with stack set against the back wall.
Impacts: The proposed site for the swimming pool is well screened from the house. It has already been the subject of archaeological investigation, which found no evidence of any archaeological remains on this part of the site. The garden shed is discreetly located, and the solar panels will not be visually prominent. Provided that the overall design of these elements of the works are undertaken to a high standard, the proposal works will have a neutral impact on significance.
Conversion of former brewhouse to pool building: It is proposed to convert the Brewhouse for use as the pool house. A new door opening in its SW gable elevation will give access to the swimming pool which will be sited immediately to the west of the building. The currently-blocked window will be reopened and all the external joinery will be replaced, using traditionally-detailed joinery.
The possibility of carefully lifting the existing flags will be fully explored, to enable a new insulated stone floor to be laid, with the salvaged flags reinstated. A lime slurry will be applied to the currently un-plastered upper floor walls, and insulation introduced into the roof. A wood burning stove will be installed, and a W.C introduced into the lean-to. The existing staircase will be restored, and at first floor level there will be a free-standing sauna.
Impacts: Generally, these works secure a beneficial use to the building and will have a neutral impact on significance.
Conclusion: The comprehensive scheme of repairs and alterations will replace many of the poor quality late 19th and early 20th century alterations which appear to have been introduced to provide bathroom and W.C. facilities and address substantial damp problems. Resulting in substantial loss of 17th century fabric and the creation of a series of ill-proportioned and mean spaces, these changes are of little architectural or historic value.
The current proposals seek to restore the surviving historic fabric whilst retaining those elements of the 19th and 20th century alterations that make a positive
65 contribution to the character of the building whilst at the same time providing accommodation which is more appropriate to modern needs.
It is considered that overall the scheme achieves an appropriate balance that has overall a positive impact upon the significance of the house and its setting.
JME Conservation Ltd.
August 2015
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