Gower House

Summary

A two-storey village house, dating to at least the late 18th century but remodelled in the early and mid 19th century.

Reasons for Designation

Gower House is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural Interest:
* as a good example of a prominent, multi-phase village house with architectural style and detailing of good quality;
* the house survives well both externally and internally, with internal features of good quality.

Historic Interest:
* as a good example of an evolved village house.

History

Gower House is a mutli-phase dwelling located in Barton-under-Needwood. It is attached to the western side by 20 Main Street (GII; NHLE 1038512).

The building is thought to have originated in the late-C17 or early-C18 and likely began as a single range, as shown on the 1804 map of the village. Records show that it was owned by Moses Birch, a surgeon, in 1769. It was then inherited or passed to his son, William Birch, who is recorded as both the owner and occupier on the 1837 tithe map. The tithe map shows that the property had been extended to the rear at some point prior to this, suggested to have been around 1836. This rear extension created two additional formal rooms facing the garden with bedrooms at first floor level. William Birch is also recorded in the apportionments as owning a parcel of land on the opposite side of Dunstall Road. He is recorded as having been trained in medicine and gave a talk in 1859 to the Mechanical Institute in Barton-under-Needwood titled “On some interesting facts connected with the circulation of the blood in man and in the higher order of animals.”

The 1883 OS map depicts further change at the property and shows the footprint which is extant today. The building had been extended to create a prominent double-gabled front in a domestic Jacobean revival style. The design has clear mid-Victorian origins, and an approximate date of 1870 has been proposed for this phase of works, around the time when the Palmer family purchased the house.

The property continued to be used at least in part as a doctor’s surgery until the mid-C20, when a Dr Russian practiced there.

Details

An evolved village house thought to date from the C17, with later phases of development in the C19.

MATERIALS: the building is rendered with a tiled roof.

PLAN: the building has a square plan form, with an attached L-plan garage.

EXTERIOR: the building is of two storeys, with an attic storey and basement. The principal elevation is rendered and features four bays; two central protruding gabled bays and two recessed bays to either side. The ground floor of the lefthand bay extends forward, but remains recessed to the neighbouring bay. A further bay to the south-west contains an attached garage, also with gabled front.

The gabled bays are parapeted and topped with finials. The principal of the two bays features a centrally placed front door, flanked by two semi-circular headed single light windows. Above the door is a projecting cornice supported by decorative corbels.

The left protruding bay is slightly more forward than its neighbour, with the front door centrally set on the ground floor. The door is flanked by two semi-circular headed single light windows. The remainder of the fenestration to the principal is regular, featuring three light, square headed windows. A secondary entrance is located on the south-eastern aspect of the front elevation, providing access via a small porch, which also has a front facing single light sash window.

A glass veranda extends the full length of the rear of the property, supported by cast iron columns. Below, a portico is supported by two columns of the Tuscan order and within is a set of doors.

INTERIOR: within the property, the entrance hall leads into a reception room, from which an inner hallway and a number of rooms are accessible, as well as the principal staircase. The staircase is a stone cantilevered design, with plain cast iron balustrades and wooden banister. A secondary staircase serves the second floor and can be accessed from the former service area of the house; the service area is separated from the main hall by a baize door.

The rear reception room retains full height glazed doors which open to the veranda, these have surviving wooden shutters. Similarly, the adjacent dining room retains timber framed sash windows and wooden shutters, and both rooms retain fireplaces. The dining room has a cupboard, disguised with a door matching that through to the kitchen to create symmetry. Between the flanking doors, there is a buffet recess. Throughout the building, there is a high proportion of retained doors, doorcases, architrave and fireplaces. There is an extensive cellar, formed of a series of barrel-vaulted rooms.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the boundary of the property is demarcated by a continuous garden wall, which joins to the former kitchen wing. The wall is partially topped with cast-iron railings and a round arched gateway leads to the rear of the property.

Sources

Websites
Stretton Family Historical Archive, accessed 22/04/2024 from https://www.johnlionelstretton.com/archive/family/item/23-william-birch-b1801

Other
Tithe Map, 1837
First edition Ordnance Survey map 1883
The Mercury, 27/07/1995, p.2.
Burton Mail, 29/03/1984, p.37

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