History

In 1787 John Lucas inherited the old estate and house of Stouthall, and set about rebuilding the house. He engaged William Jernegan, the leading Swansea architect of his time. Jernegan's design is a slightly reduced copy of Penrice Castle, a nearby house which was designed in 1773 by Anthony Keck for T M Talbot; both houses have similar planning, a north entrance with porch, a generous bow to the south and a service wing to the east. Jernegan's design brought the main stairs from a side position into a two-storey hall, improving the planning; but the house is of cheaper materials and less lavishly finished. Both are decorated in the Adam tradition. Stouthall was finished in about 1790-3 and occupied at the latter date, although masons' and plumbers' dates of 1800 and 1803 have also been observed in the roof. The service wing to the east is probably a little later. In 1831 Stouthall descended to Col J N Lucas, who remained until 1843; it then passed to his son in law, Col Wood. At the end of the century Stouthall was rented to tenants. By 1903 there was no male heir. During the Great War it was billeted by soldiers. In 1920 the estate was sold, and the house has served numerous purposes since. After the Second World War Stouthall served as a convalescent home and until recently as a field study centre for the London Borough of Merton. A balustrade at ground level on the west and south sides of the house has disappeared. In 1942 single storey offices were added to the north front at each side of the main entrance.

Exterior

A Neoclassical villa of three storeys and basement, in local rubble limestone which is rendered and painted cream, with low-pitched hipped slate roofs on wide bracketted eaves. Shallow Bath stone plinth in two steps. The front elevation is to the north, although the rear elevation with plainer fenestration and incorporating a full-height three-window bow is the more prominent elevation seen on approach. Extensive low service buildings, also rendered and slate roofed, are attached in two ranges to the east around a central yard. The front elevation is in three units, the middle slightly advanced. There is a Doric porch of shallow projection, carried on two round and two square columns. Four steps rise to a pair of three-panel doors with sidelights and fanlight. Above this in a recessed panel there is a triple window and above that a Diocletian window with two large mullions. At the flanks of the front elevation the ground storey is concealed by flat-roofed wartime additions, above which there are large web-traceried fanlights; sash windows in the upper storeys. Bath stone string course at first storey sill level. Basement areas to south and west. The rear elevation is of seven windows (including three in the bow), the west elevation is of three windows, and the east elevation is of two windows plus two blind windows. All original windows are of concealed-frame sash type, with plate glass. The windows of the bow are formed on the curve and glazed in curved glass. At ground storey and in the first storey of the bow and in the triplet over the entrance the windows contain equal sashes of two panes each, divided by single horizontal glazing bars. At first storey elsewhere they have unequal panes, with a two-pane sash above a single pane sash. At second storey the openings are square and the sashes both single-pane, including those in the Diocletian window. Shallow moulding and brackets over the first storey windows of the bow. The same windows have an iron balustrade. A lead pipe centrally on the east elevation is the original pipe to supply water from the internal slopes of the roof to the domestic water cistern.

Interior

Entrance Hall: fine Regency style handrail to stairs, part of it concealed and probably missing; ground storey Doric frieze; Bath stone flagging; mahogany doors; the upper part has a gallery separated by Doric columns and pilasters; moulded and enriched ceiling with central oval. Drawing Room, at west: the south facing windows are not original, and lack casings; doorways with moulded architraves to hall and library; marble fireplace with inlaid mottled panels; moulded skirting, dado and cornice. Dining Room, to east: service area at north separated by Doric columns and pilasters; white and mottled red fireplace; moulded skirting, dado and frieze; oval ceiling panel. Library: an oval room with fitted mahogany bookcases, incorporating a concealed door to the Drawing room, the false book spines having titles humourously alluding to the fact (perhaps not original); mahogany door to hall, fireplace to east. The rich scheme of decoration of the main rooms extends to the rooms of the first storey but not to those of the second storey.

Reasons for Listing

Listed at II* as an exceptional country house derived from the design of Penrice Castle; retains strong architectural character and fine interiors notwithstanding some loss of detail.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17743966

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)