Description

AWLISCOMBE
SY 10 SW

5/1 Egland
22.2.55

II

Gentleman's villa. 1804, built by John and William Lee of Honiton for Thomasine Anne
Elliott, enlarged 1931 for her descendants by Walter Sarel, architect, and Dart and
Francis of Crediton (inscription). Probably stone, colourwashed and rendered; gabled
slate roof; stacks with rendered shafts. The classical house of 1804 extended in an
historical Roman Doric style.
Plan: The original plan was a double depth south-facing, block, 2 rooms wide with a
central into an entrance hall flanked by the principal rooms with a spacious stair
hall behind. The position of the services is unclear. The 1931 extensions were
managed internally with considerable attention to the original and, with the re-
siting of some features, it is difficult to judge the details of where the early
house ends and the extensions begin. The principal alteration was Roman Doric the
sideways to the front left (south-west) and right (south-west) corners. The kitchen
wing, at the rear (north) entrance. The partition between the old entrance hall in
the centre front and the principal left hand room was removed and the position of the
stack in the principal left hand room was moved from the left end to the rear (north)
wall of the room. The principal entrance is through the south-east portico.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 7-bay south (garden) front, the outer bays of 1931
with porticos returning at each corner. Rusticated quoins to the 5-bay main block
which has a platband, a moulded cornice, and parapet. The centre bay is broken
forward with the parapet stepped. Presumably 1931 central Roman Doric porch with a
triglyph frieze and a late C20 2-leaf glazed front door with glazing bars. Set of
early C19 sash windows to the centre 5 bays with moulded architraves: 12-pane to the
first floor, 18-pane to the ground floor which have shouldered, eared architraves.
The outer bays have 1931 12-pane sashes, matching the 1804 windows, to the first
floor. The front door and doorcase under the south-east portico on the south wall is
probably 1804, perhaps moved from the central bay: 6-panel door with a fanlight with
spider's web glazing, the doorcase pedimented with left and right columns. Under the
portico an inscription records the date of the house "This house was built in 1804 by
John William Lee of Honiton for Thomasine Anne Elliott and enlarged in 1931 by Edith
Sophie Mary (Esme) Nicholl and her great niece and Reginald James Bowker, her great
nephew with the assistance of Walter Sarel, architect of London and Dart and Francis
of Crediton". The returns of the house and rear elevation have a mixture of early
C19 and 1931 timber sashes.
Interior: Numerous features of interest both of the early C19 and the 1930s including
joinery, cornices, chimney-pieces and a fine early C19 suspended stick baluster
stair. The large stair hall is panelled with a good cornice that extends into the
entrance hall. The stair hall panelling may be 1804, extended into the 1931 entrance
hall, or it may be 1931. The entrance hall is lit by a round-headed window on the
north wall filled with interesting early C19 stained glass including a pictorial
panel of a seated man smoking a pipe. The front right room is the library, shelved
with a round-headed niche in one corner with trompe d'oeil) painted vaulting. The
plaster cornice suggests that the fittings may be 1931. The 1804 entrance hall, now
part of the drawing room to the left, retains an 1804 niche on the north wall, with a
panelled surround, keyblock and 1804 trompe d'oeuil painted vaulting. The plaster
cornice of the drawing room in an early C19 style must be 1931 as it follows the line
of the 1931 chimneybreast on the north wall. The rear left dining room of 1931 has a
fine, presumably re-sited, circa 1804 china cupboard with glazed doors and shaped
shelves. First floor not inspected but may retain features of interest, either from
1804 or 1931.
Walter Sarel worked with Dart and Francis at Coombe Trenchard in Lew trenchard parish
(q.v.), a house in an eclectic vernacular revival style.
An extremely interesting house, not only for the 1804 core but also as an example of
1930s historicism.
Group value with a cluster of detached villas in the south-east of the parish.

Listing NGR: ST1488701346

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26390300

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

• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)