Grove House

Detached country house comprising three-bay two-storey over basement house, built c. 1830, with five-bay sides, bow to west elevation, and having Ionic portico added 1836, attached to rear, west side of earlier five-bay two-storey with attic house over basement, built c. 1760, having slightly projecting pedimented central bays, bowed south-east corner and advanced three-bay two-storey wings with five-bay elevations to west. Hipped slate roofs with eaves course and rendered chimneystacks, having overhanging sheeted eaves to later block and to wings of earlier. Pitched gable-fronted slate roof to centre bays of older central block. Painted rendered walls, having dressed limestone string course and plinth course to later block and render platband to front of older wings. Square-headed timber sliding sash windows throughout with limestone sills, six-over-six pane to elevation of earlier house and wings and bowed corner of earlier block, four-over-four horizontal pane to west elevation of wings and one-over-one pane to later blocks. Barred three-over-three pane to basement of earlier block. Windows of ground floor façade of later block set into round-headed recesses. Limestone prostyle tetrastyle Ionic portico to later block elevation, approached by flight of limestone steps. Segmental-headed opening with highly ornate cobweb fanlight over elaborate carved stone doorcase comprising partly fluted engaged columns, frieze with vegetal motifs, dentillated cornice and decorative timber panelled double-leaf door. Walled garden to the rear having coursed rubble limestone walls.

Grove House, an eighteenth-century building, was rebuilt in part to the design of William Tinsley. The later block, added c. 1830, changed the articulation of the west-facing older house so that the new front faced north and the three-bay block forms a symmetrical composition with the earlier wings. The pedimented rear of the old house facing the yard remains unchanged. The architectural form of the building is enriched by the classical proportions of the portico, designed by William Tinsley, which was evidently sculpted by highly-skilled craftsmen. It provides an artistic and aesthetic focus which is further enhanced by the fine doorcase. The cobweb fanlight is a noteworthy feature and is a particularly fine and delicate example of its type. The walled garden andsubstantial complex of far buildings provides further interest and context to the site.