MDE21376 - Heasley House Hotel (Building)

An early 19th Century house, believed to have been built for the mine manager (or captain). It is set back between two older houses and has had flanking walls built to either side of the garden, with a much lower wall with railings in front.

Mine captain's house, now hotel. Early 19th Century. Rendered (lined as ashlar), probably over stone rubble. Half-hipped scantle-slate roof. Brick stacks (one rebuilt and one truncated). Plan: Double-depth plan with 2 rooms to front and back, pairs of integral end stacks and central entrance passage with staircase hall to rear. Tall flanking splayed wing walls projecting to front, enclosing small front garden with railings along the front. The house has been built set-back between two earlier houses, Yen Cottage (q.v.) to left and Heasley Cottage (q.v.) to right, in an attempt to form a symmetrical composition. The houses either side are at different angles and they are screened from the main house by the tall flanking walls. Two storeys and gable-end lit attic. Exterior: Symmetrical 3-bay front; 20th Century plastic glazing bar sashes (probably of similar pattern to the former early 19th Century wooden sashes) with raised lintels incised as voussoirs. Central recessed early 19th Century door with 6 raised and fielded panels, cast- iron knocker and radial fanlight. Painted wooden Doric doorcase consisting of unfluted three-quarter columns supporting sections of triglyph frieze and open triangular pediment with guttae to soffit. Door approached by 3 stone steps. Tall flanking splayed walls with stepped coping. Early 19th Century wrought-iron railings to front on low stone rubble retaining wall. Pair of central wrought-iron gates with central rails, paired standards with urn finials. Right-hand gate with small wheel running on semi-circular rail attached to right-hand standard (possibly a later alteration). Two-light attic casements in gable ends. Three-bay rear elevation with boxed 4-pane sashes; central first-floor round-arched staircase window. Interior: Entrance passage with dado rail. Early 19th Century six panelled doors with moulded architraves. Left-hand ground floor room has early 19th Century marble chimney-piece with pairs of pilasters supporting frieze with anthemion ornament and patera to centre. Depressed-arched recesses flanking chimney-piece. Right-hand rear room (probably former kitchen) has large open fireplaces with early 19th Century keyed beaded surround and mantelshelf. Meat hooks in ceiling. Early 19th Century three flight staircase to rear, with landings, open string with cut brackets, beaded string band, rectangular-section stick balusters (3 per tread), ramped moulded handrail, square newel posts, turned foot newel post, and ramped dado rail to wall. Staircase window with beaded splayed jambs. First-floor rooms not inspected. There was much mining activity (mostly copper) in the area around Heasley Mill in the early 19th Century. Bamfldye Mine nearby was probably reopened in the early 19th Century and was active by the 1840s. This is thought to have been the mine manager's (or captain's) house. [1] The group was visited in September 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. The house received a BAR score of 6 and the walls a score of 5A. [2]