Orchard House

Cadw's description

Location

The first historic house at the eastern entry to Boverton.

History

This house appears to originate in the C17 but evidence is now very fragmentary due to its wholesale rebuilding in the mid C19, and the house now has very much the character of that period. It began as possibly two builds of different date which were amalgamated as well as changed in the mid C19. Apart from the usual modernisation it has remained relatively unaltered since. This house appears to be shown on the1840 Tithe map.

Exterior

Built of roughly coursed local limestone rubble, with the C17 stonework in evidence on the south wall as very much rougher, and the Victorian stonework more carefully coursed with dressed quoins and chimneys, Welsh slate roofs, brick chimney shafts. Part of the street elevation is painted.
The main elevation faces the garden and has a 3-bay section to the left and a 2-bay section to the right under separate roofs, the right hand part being set forward. The left hand section has a canted bay, a large casement and an elliptically headed doorway on the ground floor and two cross-framed casements above with a 2-light casement in a gable with fretted bargeboard to the right. To the right, both bays have fretted gables, to the left a 4-light canted bay with a cross-framed stone window with dripmould above. This last window is repeated on both floors to the right. Steeply pitched roofs with three 2-flued and one 3-flued chimneys, the tops being circular with moulded caps.
The street elevation has a single storey service range to the left, this has another fretted gable with a paired sash, with a taller gable behind. To the right is a gabled entrance arch and a two storey section with three windows above a blocked entrance.

Interior

Only the main ground floor rooms were seen at resurvey. The planning is confused, evidence for the major Victorian rebuilding of an earlier house. There are two good Victorian fire surrounds of a Tudor Gothic type as found in well-to-do rectories. Some joinery and plasterwork to match. The stair has very evidently been fitted into an existing space.

Reason for designation

Included principally as a mid C19 house retaining good character with a number of interior features of special interest.