Summary
Built as a grand town house for John Peter between 1603 and in 1605. Later C18 and C19 modifications. Restored in the early C21.
Reasons for Designation
The Walronds, 6 Fore Street, Cullompton is listed at Grade I for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as an example of a significant and substantially complete early-C17 high-status town house;
* as a regionally-distinctive design with its use of vernacular building materials and traditions such as its ornamental plasterwork, and jointed crucks.
* for the retention of a significant proportion of its early-C17 decorative scheme including doors and doorframes, staircases, panelling, a plank and muntin screen, windows, fireplaces with decorative overmantels, and decorative plasterwork ceilings;
* for the survival of later fixtures and fittings from the mid-C17 and C18 which continue to demonstrate a high degree of craftsmanship and quality;
* for the retention of its early-C17 roof structure of tie beam trusses, and jointed crucks to the south wing;
* for the survival and legibility of its early-C17 cross-passage plan with cross wings at either end.
Historic interest:
* for its contribution to our understanding of the development of the domestic architecture of high-status town houses in the early C17;
* for the rare survival of early-C17 ornamental plasterwork that is of exceptional quality and contributes to our understanding of this decorative tradition which is a distinctive feature of Devon and Somerset houses of the late C16 and C17.
Group value:
* for its strong group value with The Manor House Hotel at 2 Fore Street (Grade II*), 4 Fore Street (Grade II), and 8 Fore Street (Grade II) which together form an impressive row of early-C17 houses.
History
The Walronds was rebuilt between 1603 and 1605 following a fire in 1602. It was built for John Peter and replaced the family home of his wife, Emmeline Paris, whose father Humphrey Paris, and grandfather Henry Paris, were wealthy Cullompton merchants. The overmantels in the hall and great chamber bear all of their initials with the coats of arms of the Peter and Paris families combined in a crest above both fireplaces. The house retains much early-C17 ornamental plasterwork that bears a strong similarity to that found at gentry houses such as Holcombe Court in Holcombe Rogus, mid-Devon (Grade I) and Montacute House, Somerset (Grade I). The similarities and the apparent use of the same plaster casts indicates that the same workshops of plasterers were being used, with credible attributions to craftsmen such as Robert Eaton.
By the late C17 the house was owned by the Portman family and was subsequently leased to members of the Walrond family.
In the early C21 the house was bequeathed to the Cullompton Walronds Preservation Trust and a scheme of restoration was completed in 2014.
Details
Built as a grand town house for John Peter between 1603 and in 1605. Later C18 and C19 modifications. Restored in the early C21.
MATERIALS: built of local Culm sandstone laid as coursed rubble stone, with some Volcanic Trap stone and Beer stone dressing. The rear wing to the south is built of cob. All elevations have been rendered and the roofs are covered in slate tiles. Stone mullioned windows with ovolo moulding, some with C17 iron window catches.
PLAN: a two-storey, single-depth, cross-passage main range, with two-storey cross wings at each end (north and south); all designed with garret accommodation. The cross wings have two bays to their inner face and encIose a small cobbled courtyard. In the main range the hall is to the right (north) of the cross passage and the service range is to the left (south), retaining the original buttery, pantry, and kitchen. The two first-floor bedrooms were subdivided in the late C19 when a front corridor was inserted. The north cross wing contains the parlour with a principal bedroom above. The south cross wing contains the first-floor great chamber, with storage rooms to the ground floor. This wing extended further to the rear and foundations survive under the rear yard.
EXTERIOR: the symmetrical principal elevation (east) is of two storeys, and comprises the three-bay main range and two forward-projecting gabled cross wings, with dressed stone quoins and a moulded plinth, and square obelisks to the gables. The timber carriage entrance arch to the left, with its ovolo-moulded surround, is possibly contemporary with the house.
The main range has a central, ovolo-moulded entrance door surround. It is blind to the first floor rising to form a gable with a two-light mullion window. The outer bays have a three-light mullion window to the ground and first floor. These are repeated to the inner face of each cross wing. To the gable ends of the cross wing are four-light mullion windows to the ground and first floor, and two-light mullion windows to the garret. All of the windows have double ovolo moulded Beer stone surrounds and mullions, and sandstone hoodmoulds with label stops. The panes are leaded, some being latticed, and many having stanchion bars.
To the south elevation there is a truncated external chimney stack, corbelled out at first-floor level. The C17 door and window are thought to be reused and not original features. The other windows are C19 or C21 replacements.
To the north elevation there is an external lateral chimney stack with two pairs of set-offs. The three mullion windows are early C17.
To the rear (west) elevation of the main range is an external lateral chimney stack, flanked by two and three-light mullion windows with moulded stone surrounds, one with a hoodmould. There is a stair turret set in the angle between the main range and south wing lit by two-light ovolo moulded windows; a quatrefoil and a shallow pointed lancet have been reset at ground floor level, probably in the C19. The inner face of the south wing has an early C17 three-light window; the door and other windows are C19. To the west end of the south wing is a three-light window under a timber hoodmould, possibly C18. The inner and rear faces of the north wing have one, two, and three-light windows. The cellar, which is set below the stairs but above the ground, is lit by small lancet windows.
INTERIOR: early-C17 plank and muntin screens to the cross passage have cyma recta mouldings, hollow step stops, and carpenter's mitres. To the south side of the screen is an apotropaic mark. There are two doorways with moulded cambered heads, and a blocked doorway to the hall. The panelled doors are C19.
To the hall (north) the early-C17 high-end screen is of four tiers, with moulding and fluted Ionic pilasters. The cornice includes a continuous (except to the lower end) frieze of tulips. The chimneypiece with its overmantel dates to 1605 and has stone jambs and a lintel with cyma recta moulding and bulbous step stops. The plaster overmantel has strapwork decoration, and the central panel contains the coat of arms of the Peter and Paris families with fruit and flowers and two putti. There are cyma recta moulded surrounds to the doorways to the front parlour and stair passage, one with an early fielded-panel door. The early-C18 barley-sugar balusters and a handrail have been added to the C17 dog-leg staircase.
To the service end (south) the kitchen has deeply-chamfered cross beams. To the rear is a C17 newel staircase with an octagonal newel post and a facetted ball finial, and original treads and risers. C17 timber partition walls with wattle and daub infill survive.
The four roof trusses to the main range comprise pegged principal rafters with tie beams and two rows of trenched purlins. It bears close affinities with that to The Manor House Hotel of 1603 (Grade II*).
The parlour in the north wing has mid-C17 wall panelling of five tiers, with the upper panels having marquetry work, each divided by decorated brackets. The chimneypiece has Ionic pilasters, a cornice, and lintel and jambs with ovolo and cyma recta mouldings. The overmantel has inlaid wooden arches, a dentilled cornice, and paired, detached columns. The early C17 plaster ceiling has a symmetrical geometric pattern of kite and square panels radiating from central bosses, and incorporating angle sprays.
The ground-floor storage area of the south wing has two deeply-chamfered cross beams, one with bulbous step stops. On the first floor of the south wing, the great chamber has a moulded cornice and an early-C17 plaster ceiling of moulded single ribs intersecting to create a geometric pattern with a floral motif and square and concave-sided diamonds, and incorporating angle sprays. The chimneypiece has a continuous moulded stone lintel and jambs, a moulded cornice with fleurons, and an overmantel with the coats of arms of the Peter and Paris family, with two angel bearers contained in a strapwork scroll surround, and the date, 1605. The small antechamber is approached through a pedimented door surround with a cambered door head and fluted pilasters. The antechamber has a decorated cornice and early-C17 plaster ceiling with intersecting single ribs to create a pattern of lozenge and square panels, and incorporating angle sprays. There is a cranked doorway lintel and moulded jambs. The rear bedroom has a fireplace with stone jambs with moulding and a wooden lintel. The overmantel has a hops and oak leaf motif, and carnations to the frieze. There is a ceiled, coved garret to the south wing, with jointed crucks.
