NHER 34720 (Building record) - Montpelier House and Western House, Market Place

March 1950. Listed, Grade II.
See (S1).

Originally one house built around 1750. Knapped flint, gault bricks, black glazed pantiles. Three storeys, seven bays, of which centre three broken forward and with rusticated quoins, as at end of south elevation.
Semi circular Roman Doric porch. Twelve-pane sashes except attics which are six-pane. To extreme right is secondary doorcase with hood on consoles. Gable stacks. Main stairs removed, secondary stairs to south with reused 17th century panelling beneath. First floor centre room with marble fireplace, pulvintade frieze interupted by shell ornament, ornate window surrounds cornices and panelling.
Information from 1996 listed building description.
Exterior seen by E. Rose (NLA), 1999.
Compiled by E. Rose (NLA), 3 November 1999.

On second visit it was noted that the north gable wall contains at base the mark of a much lower gable, built out on east in brick to join a later brick outshut. The lower gable mark contains random bricks and is crossed by courses of 20th century bricks. Below is a small extension rebuilt in the 20th century. This would appar to be the gable wall of a single storey building predating the main house, and repaired in the 20th century, when the extension was built.
E. Rose (NLA), 4 June 2001.

Listing Description excerpt:
"House, now divided into two. c.1750, divided late 20th century. Knapped flint with gault-brick dressings; roof of black-glazed pantiles. Exterior: three storeys in seven-window range. Centre three bays broken forward and defined by rusticated brick quoins, repeated to outside angles of elevation...Semicircular porch on two fluted Roman Doric columns and pilasters, Greek key meander in frieze, plain entablature...Second doorway in extreme right bay...Bracketed eaves cornice. Gabled roof with stone coping to gable parapets and internal gable-end stacks north and south. Single-storey extension to north fitted with bowed plate-glass display window. Interior: main staircase removed. Secondary stick-baluster staircase to south (Western House), under which is re-used mid-17th-century small-framed panelling. First-floor centre room has marble fire insert and an eared timber surround: acanthus decoration, imbricated pulvinated frieze interrupted by shell ornament in high relief; eared overmantel with corner rosettes beneath a broken pediment containg bust. Large-framed wall panelling with meander decoration. Window surrounds with reel and bobbin mouldings and acanthus carving. Plaster cornice with dentils, egg-and-dart moulding and modillions."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 22 February 2024.