British Listed Buildings

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Listing Text

MODBURY BROWNSTON STREET
SX 6451-6551
(west side)
7/80 No 8 (Chain House)

GV II*

House in row. Early C18 street frontage, incorporating earlier cottages
behind. Coursed rubble, slate roof. A good street frontage block with deep and
narrow back wing possibly on site of earlier cottages. To street is 2-storeys
and attic with 4 windows, all good 12-pane sashes to voussoirs with projecting
painted keystone, bull-nose Stone cills; in bay 2 a 6-panel fielded door with
glazing-bar overlight, in moulded architrave and with flat cantilevered canopy
to moulded edge. Four pedimented dormers with 9-pane sashes. Plinth, flat mid
string course, modillion wood cornice to secret gutter; decorative hopper-heads
to lead down-pipes; brick stacks to each gable. Long back wing in 2 storeys has
slate-hung upper level with 4:12:4:12:24-pane, sashes above a 6-panel door,
arched casement with Y-tracery, large 4-light sash, further door and two sashes;
the end gable, left with rounded corner, has a scatter of pigeon openings. Back
of wing has central very broad eaves stack gabled back to roof slope. Interior:
ground floor left rood has C18 fireplace surround with egg and dart embellish-
ment, rococo scrolls and overmantel with 3 masks. Right-hand room with fielded
panelling, modillion cornice and fireplace with unusual Ionic 'consoles',
dentilled mantel shelf, good door. Main stair is dog-leg through 2 floors, 3
hoisted balusters per tread. First floor back roam has recess with thistle and
lion head brackets; similar recess in front room, left, also bolection mould
fire surround. Front, right, good C18 fire surround with eared architrave.
Back wing has C17 A-frame roof structure, some very wide floor boards, many
contemporary (C18) doors. Here also a second staircase enclosed in panelling,
and an C18 cupboard with a pair of small-paned doors; one room with moulded
overmantel with keystone. This was clearly an important clothier's house; the
name is said to derive from chains along the front of the house, within living
memory, and and thought to mark the place where tolls were taken on market
days. (Modbury: Our Inheritance, Modbury Local History Society, n.d).


Listing NGR: SX6586851685

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence: PSI Click-use licence number C2008002006.