Lawrence Castle

Details

In the entry for the following:-

SX 88 NE DUNCHIDEOCK 3/8 Lawrence Castle II*

The address and description shall be amended to read:-

SX 88 NE DUNCHIDEOCK

1806-/3/8 Lawrence Castle 12/02/87 II*

Memorial tower. 1788, built by Sir Robert Palk of Haldon House to commemorate and celebrate Major-General Stringer Lawrence, died 1775, Commander of the British Army in India and benefactor of Sir Robert Palk who was Governor of Madras in 1763. Rendered stone rubble. Triangular plan with corner turrets. Gothic style. 3 storeys, with plat bands to each storey and moulded cornice beneath castellated parapet. Glazing bar sashes with switch tracery set in small pointed-arched windows to turrets; the intervening bays have moulded architraves to similar but larger windows, the tripartite first-floor windows having small flanking lancets. Similar architrave to pointed-arched doorway, with switch-tracery overlight set over half-glazed doors. Interior reflects the Gothic style of the exterior, and is noted as including high quality joinery and panelled doors set in moulded architraves and fine neo-classical friezes and cornices with Gothic detailing; principal first-floor room has fine Gothic style architraves in the style of Adam. Coade stone statue of Major-General Stringer Lawrence on ground floor, dressed as Roman general and set on pedestal, with boards in praise of his character and achievements on each of the flat walls of the triangle. The first floor, once a small ballroom, has a mahogany floor brought from India which tapers towards the centre; the stone ground-floor floor is similarly constructed. Fine fireplaces to side rooms, including one on first floor with Palk crest. Open well staircase with wrought-iron handrail and plaster ornamental ceiling to top. Similar to the earlier tower at Powderham (qv), both inspired by the triangular tower built for the Duke of Cumberland in Windsor Great Park. The tower is also known as the "Haldon Belvedere" and was formerly linked to Haldon House by a roadway. (Cherry B and Pevsner N, The Buildings of England: Devon, 1989, p.342)

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DUNCHIDEOCK SX 88 NE

3/8 Lawrence Castle - II*

Memorial tower. 1788, built by Sir Robert Palk of Haldon House to commemorate and celebrate Major-General Stringer Lawrence, died 1775, Commander of the British Army in India and benefactor of Sir Robert Palk who was Governor of Madras in 1763. Shillo over stone rubble. The 3-storey tower is sited on top of Haldon Hill and is an impressive landmark. Access unobtainable at time of survey (1985). The old list description refers to "3 sides with turrets on each corner, all castellated. Moulded string-course below castellations. Small Gothic windows on top floor, larger ones on 1st floor with 3- light windows in centre. Large pointed window in centre with lancets on side. Band between floors". Interior not inspected. The old description refers to a figure of Major-General Stringer Lawrence on the ground floor "in Roman costume on a pedestal in the centre" and "boards in praise of his character and achievements on each of the flat walls of the triangle". The first floor, once a small ballroom has "a mahogany floor brought from India and an elaborate plaster frieze showing Adam's influence. In another room on the first floor is an "Adam" fireplace. Lawrence tower is also known as the "Haldon Belvedere" and was formerly linked to Haldon House by a roadway.

Listing NGR: SX8753086148

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

85427

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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