| Description | The Dower House, Warmfield cum Heath. c.1740 century high status house
'Former dower house, now house. c.1740 for the Smyth's of Heath Hall (q.v.), with early C19 extension in matching style. Ashlar, Westmorland green slate roof. 2 storeys. Symmetrical composition originally of 5 x 4 bays, double depth. Rusticated quoins, chamfered plinth, moulded band. Central doorway has architrave, carved consoles, pulvinated frieze and casement moulded cornice, 5 pane overlight. Windows have architraves and 15 pane sashes in an uncommon combination of 5 panes times 3. Oversailing casement moulded eaves cornice with shallow triangular pediment over the central 3 bays supported to either side by broad tablets. Hipped roof with 2 stacks to each side at junction with central projecting bays on return walls. Original symmetry disturbed by added bay on left which breaks forward under its own hipped roof and has end stack to left.
Rear: 5 bays. Rusticated quoins, chamfered plinth, plain raised band. Central arched stair window has dropped keystone. Windows have plain raised surrounds. Ground floor: 3rd and 4th bays altered by addition of link block to adjacent house, not of special interest. Right hand return has central 2 bays projecting with quoined angles, windows with raised surrounds and 15 pane sashes. 2nd bay has doorway with monolithic jambs and overlight. Outer bays blind originally: 4th bay has the angle filled in with incongruous addition (perhaps Cl9) in partly rendered brick with a small window in raised plain surrounds to each floor.
Interior: entrance hall: 2 arched doorways with fanlights: that to right leading to main staircase, that to left to a secondary one; fireplace with moulded stone surround and fluted keystone and large panelled over mantel with broken pediment, well detailed joinery to panelled walls with raised banding on the dado. Open well staircase has finely turned balusters, 3 to each riser, the central one iron twist, Ionic fluted columns as newels and parquetry inlay on the quarter landing, carved Rococo end brackets and wreathed and ramped handrail. The reception rooms and bedrooms retain contemporary wooden panelling, carved chimney pieces and door frames with 6 panel doors. Rear rooms of house have C19 linenfold panelling in Elizabethan style'.
(English Heritage listed building description. Date listed 14/02/1952. http://list.english heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1135585. Web site accessed 03/02/2014).
WYAAS archives holds a copy of Wakefield MDC (Planning/Conservation) records relating to Dower House. This includes a description and a photocopy of photographic print depicting the front of the structure. Probably from the late 1970s (Wakefield MDC. Undated).
The Dower House was the subject of a programme of archaeological building recording undertaken by Archaeological Services WYAS in 2002. Photographic recording and survey was required in advance of repair work to meet the needs of an archaeological condition placed against planning application Wakefield Council planning reference number 01/99/17882/S (LBC)('Works to repair subsidence damage'). This was undertaken in accordance with Specification for Building Recording set by WYAS (Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 2001). The aim was make a rectified photographic and drawn record of the 19th century 'wing' under development in order to produce a stone by stone record. This recording event was followed by an archaeological watching brief in July 2002 which was also a condition relating to the development. The watching brief was required to view work in progress connected to the repair of the subsidence damage to the south corner of the wing. Additional drawings were made and photographs taken of details revealed by restoration work. |