Ashley House

Cadw's description

Location

Towards the middle of the upper W range of Maryport Street, a prominent building on a larger scale than the flanking earlier cottages.

History

A late C19 rebuilding with Tudoresque detailing of earlier house on site. Old photographs show a plain gable only.

Exterior

Large Tudoresque townhouse, set within the range of smaller cottages. Rendered and painted with contrasting raised rendered dressings; slate roof with overhanging bracketed eaves, decorative gables and dormers and apex finials. L-shaped consisting of a projecting gable end facade to right and a 2 bay wing to left sharing the same building line with number 30; in the angle a porch with heavy antae, entablature with billet moulding and small gable. Three storeys; the glazing is mostly 2-pane sashes. The gable end facade to right is almost completely taken up with windows: a small triparite gabled attic bay resting on the pitched roof of a first floor bay with very deep entablature incorporating a diamond frieze; wide 4-light ground floor window with Gibbs surround; raised and staggered quoins. To left is the set-back 2- window range: two gabled full dormers to attic with casements either side of a central gable with decorative applied timbering to apex; this is above the main two-light first floor window (single light above porch) , the former directly above a wide canted ground floor bay window of 6 lights.

Reason for designation

Listed as an imaginatively designed building, later than its neighbours but contributing to the streetscape. Group value with other listed buildings in Maryport Street.