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Summary

Description

1813; extended by Archibald Simpson, 1840. 2-storey and basement, 5-bay Regency house. Rendered and painted. Granite ashlar base course; projecting cills; moulded eaves cornice; overhanging eaves.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: symmetrical; pedimented tetrastyle Greek Doric porch advanced to centre of ground floor, 2-leaf glazed, panelled timber door with letterbox fanlight in architraved doorway, 2-light window above, pediment on frieze stepped up above with bull's-eye window to centre, flanked to left and right by 6-pointed mullets. Panelled timber door with 2-pane fanlight to flanking bay to right at ground floor, regular fenestration to remaining bays of ground and 1st floors.

W ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; 3-bay; bowed; pilastered bays. Interlocked bowed recess to centre of ground floor, with scrolled consoles supporting modillion moulded cornice, window flanked to left by small window in recess; window centred above, windows to basement, ground and 1st floors of flanking bays to left and right.

S ELEVATION: symmetrical; 3 bowed bays to centre through ground and 1st floors, trellis verandah advanced to ground floor; regular fenestration.

E ELEVATION: symmetrical; 3-bay; bowed; pilastered bays. 2 blind windows to ground and 1st floors of centre bay, regular fenestration to basement, ground and 1st floors of 2 flanking bays.

Predominantly 4-pane timber sash and case windows. Piended grey slate roof with lead ridges. Corniced ridge stacks with octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: ground floor: encaustic tiled patterned floor, corner pilasters, main entrance door shutters to entrance hall; drawing room: plasterwork, working shutters, full height balcony windows; dining room: apsidal-ended room with massive timber column screen, elaborate plasterwork, compartmented ceiling, shutters with Greek key motif, later chimneypiece; various plain chimney pieces throughout; simple staircase.

PIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: low coped granite boundary walls, with square-plan piers to W with pyramidal caps; iron railings to N.

Statement of Special Interest

Devanha House was reputed to have been built for William Black of Devanha Brewery. It was later altered for the shipbuilding family of Blakie by Archibald Simpson, who added the porch and curved ends (Brogden p117), and may well have re-cast the whole building. The once extensive grounds have now been built over. The unusual name of Devanha would appear to originate from the Romans, who referred to Chester as "Devana" because of its situation on "Deva" or Dee, much like Aberdeen, which has also been so called.

References

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