Eccleston Ferry House is a farmhouse southeast of the village of
Eccleston,
Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
, England. It is on the east bank of the
River Dee near the site of an ancient ferry crossing of the river. The house is recorded in the
National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II
listed building.
History
The house was built in 1887 for
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster, and designed by the
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
architect
John Douglas.
Architecture
The farmhouse is constructed in
Ruabon red brick, with red
sandstone dressings and some
timber framing, on a stone
plinth. The main front faces the river and has four
bays
A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...
. The right bay projects forwards and has two storeys; the lower storey is in brick and is
canted
Cant, CANT, canting, or canted may refer to:
Language
* Cant (language), a secret language
* Beurla Reagaird, a language of the Scottish Highland Travellers
* Scottish Cant, a language of the Scottish Lowland Travellers
* Shelta or the Cant, a lan ...
, the upper storey is timber-framed and has a
gable. The middle two bays contain a porch and a
dormer
A dormer is a roofed structure, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a pitched roof. A dormer window (also called ''dormer'') is a form of roof window.
Dormers are commonly used to increase the usable space ...
, and the left bay has some brick
diapering.
[
]
Associated structures
In the garden is a structure described as a bandstand or a café. It was also designed by Douglas for the duke, and was used for visitors taking boat trips on the adjacent River Dee. It is an open timber-framed building with a timber balustrade
A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...
standing on a sandstone plinth, and with a red tiled roof. The structure has a tiebeam inscribed with the date 1888, and carrying a plaster panel depicting a goddess with serpent staff and a cornucopia, which is flanked by dolphins and with the motto "PEACE AND PLENTY". It is also designated as a Grade II listed building.
See also
* Listed buildings in Huntington, Cheshire
*List of houses and associated buildings by John Douglas
John Douglas (1830–1911) was an English architect based in Chester, Cheshire. His designs included new churches, alterations to and restoration of existing churches, church furnishings, new houses and alterations to existing houses, and a var ...
References
{{Reflist, 30em
Grade II listed buildings in Cheshire
Grade II listed houses
Houses completed in 1887
Houses in Cheshire
John Douglas buildings
Timber framed buildings in Cheshire
Grosvenor family