History

Late C17 Renaissance farmhouse with unusual L-plan. Layout features a double-facade and is similar to nearby farmhouse at Lower White Castle. The main facade at Upper White Castle has been altered. The original 5-bay front was symmetrical and had a central entrance doorway which opened directly into the larger of two front rooms (right), with small front parlour (left). A third room and stairhall was housed in a separate rear wing. The rear wing (facing the garden) was given a lateral facade of equal architectural importance to the main front, and both elevations had a central front door with windows each side. However, although the main front was symmetrical, the garden front was irregular because the parlour chimney ran up the right side of the facade. The lateral front entrance doorway opens into a passage with third ground-floor room (left) and wider stairhall (right). The stairhall also gives independent access to the large front room and small parlour. The late C17 house would have had 2-light mullion and transom windows with small leaded panes. On the 1843 Tithe Map, Upper White Castle is marked as belonging to Henry Clifford Esq, the tenant was Esther Cotes.

Exterior

Late C17 Renaissance farmhouse. External walls are rendered with rendered plinth; hipped slate roof is coved at eaves, with rendered stacks to N and W end-walls. Two-storey E front has gabled 2-pane dormer in centre of roof slope. Windows have flat heads and painted stone sills. First floor has four C19 4-pane horned sash windows. On ground floor (l to r) is a 12-pane horned sash, a C20 metal window, and a C20 lean-to conservatory which encloses a C20 glazed entrance door and 4-pane sash window. Lateral front has similar 2-pane dormer to left. On first floor are three 12-pane horned sashes. On ground floor, central entrance doorway has C20 glazed wooden door and C20 porch, and (to left) big 12-pane sash.

Interior

Well-preserved interior has several features of interest, including exceptionally fine staircase. Late C17 dog-leg stair with broad treads rises in four flights and has closed string, turned bulbous balusters and shaped rail. Square newel posts are beaded at angles with plain caps and inner face of newel has attached half balusters. The larger of the two front rooms (present kitchen) has chamfered ceiling beams with hollow and fillet (Wern-hir) stops and boarded door to stairhall. The small front parlour has fine late C17 oak cupboards each side of fireplace. Each lower and upper fireplace cupboard has a 6-panel door with fielded panels. Third ground- floor room (in rear wing) has deep wooden fireplace lintel and chamfered ceiling beams with straight cut and scroll stops. First floor bedrooms have C17 boarded doors with strap hinges. Steeply pitched attic roof has collar trusses and one row of purlins.

Reasons for Listing

Late C17 Renaissance farmhouse with unusual double facade layout, retaining well-preserved interior detail, including exceptionally fine C17 dog-leg stair. Group value with White Castle ruins and the other listed buildings at White Castle.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Upper White Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17744203

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

• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)