8935

 

II*  

Designated  

25/05/1972  

26/03/1985  

Upper Dolley House  

 

Powys  

Presteigne  

 

 

328456  

265415  

 

Approached down a side road running south from Dolley Green and reached through a courtyard of outbuildings.  

Domestic  

 

 

Facing south, 2 storey stone-built range to left with tall 2-storey and attic timber-framed wing to right. This gabled parlour wing is thought to have been built in 1609 by Hugh Lewis, High Sheriff of the county. Later alterations include the provision of a staircase bay at the rear, the underbuilding of the jettied wing, the relocation of the entrance on E side and a recent restoration. The ornate main gable is twice-jettied with carved brackets supporting moulded bressumers, dragon-beam to SE corner over bracket with carved hand. Slate roofs, bargeboards with intersecting enrichments, studding with stellar panels to infill. Ground floor rubble wall is now built out and the original close-studded wall removed. Flush set 4-light window to attic; main 6-light mullioned window below, brackets to cill beams, leaded lights; 2 and 3 light mullioned windows to E side; modern 4-light window to ground floor. Lateral chimney with slated roof to infilled attic bay, rear gabled wing with dog-leg roof profile and left-hand range are basically rubble built, dressed masonry to ground floor on left, brick work to chimney stems. Plainer timber-framing of N section is repeated without jetty in the rear and west walls, hooded doorway to centre of south front.  

The interior of the parlour wing retains much of the original plan form consisting of a large room separated from a smaller retiring room by a framed partition on both floors. The ground floor rooms have stop chamfered beams, fielded and other panelling, cusped heads to doorways, quarter-mouldings to stone chimney jambs. First floor main room is similar but without panelling. Fine later timber stairs at rear of cross passage with ripple balustrades to handrail, the upper flight re-uses a carved bargeboard. Vertically boarded screen (imported) at cross passage with dining room to W range; chamfered beams, chimney piece with great beam on chamfered stone jambs etc.  

Group value.