Country house now 10 maisonettes. Dated 1756, garden front dated 1837, later C19 and c.1950 extensions. Blue lias with ashlar dressings, red brick and render. C18 range of blue lias with ashlar quoins and dressings. Plain tile roof. 2 ashlar red brick stacks each with 3 shafts with chamfered corners. Ashlar parapet with moulded band under, the central single bay having a shaped parapet with single central crudely carved half length statue of a drummer boy. Set on a plinth with chamfered ashlar band over. Originally H-plan. 2 storeys plus attic, 9 bays. The outer 2 bays on each side project and have ashlar coped gables with kneelers. The slightly projecting single central bay of ashlar has raised quoins. Central doorway with 8 fielded panelled door and rusticated architrave surround with keystone and pediment over. Projecting on either side are later single balustraded ashlar walls. Either side are 2 glazing bar sashes. Further right and left are single doorways with glazing bar and panelled C20 doors in former window openings. On the far right and left are single similar sashes. Above, single round arched glazing bar sash, single fluted pilasters either side support the architrave with fluted keystone dated 1756. 2 brackets support the sill. Either side are 4 glazing bar sashes. Above, in the gables are single similar smaller sashes. All sashes and C20 doorways have eared segmental arched architraves with keystones. There are 3 gabled, render and plain tile dormers each with single glazing bar casement. The central dormer being larger. To the right and projecting is a red brick and slate late C19 wing with single similar stacks to the left and rear right. Shaped, ashlar coped, parapet, having low gables over the outer single bays. First floor band. 3 glazing bar sashes with panelling below, in similar moulded surrounds to the C18 range. Above are 3 similar smaller sashes in similar surrounds with the sills supported on 2 brackets and continuous hood mould band over. Further right and set back is a 2 storey 4 bay red brick and cement render C20 wing with balustraded parapet, glazing bar door and glazing bar casements. Further right is a projecting lean-to with doorway in the side wall and 4 window openings to the front. Attached to the former wing and set back is a similar 2 storey 3 bay wing with glazing bar doors and glazing bar casements. To the left of the C18 wing and slightly set back is a similar 2 storey 8 bay C20 wing with similar doors and casements. Rear/garden front. Red brick with slate and plain tile roofs. 2 storey, 3 bay canted centre with outer two and a half storey 2 bay gabled wings. Gables ashlar coped with kneelers each with single red brick stack with 2 shafts rising from the apex. Central 3 bays with hipped roof and ashlar coped parapet. First floor band and band over first floor windows. The single central bay projects and has an ashlar coped gable with kneelers, flanking this bay are single octagonal ashlar coped brick piers which rise above the kneelers. Central recessed porch with outer Tudor archway supported on engaged colonnettes with quatrefoils in the spandrels and hood mould over. Inner Tudor arched doorway with double door with glazing bars to the top half and decorative panels to the lower half. Over is a pointed arched overlight with Gothic glazing bars. Stained glass panel with Darwin crest dated 1837. Flanking the door are single similar marginal lights and panels. Either side are single tripartite glazing bar cross casements. Further left and right are single doorways with C20 glazing bar and panelled doors and single outer glazing bar sashes. Above, single central tripartite glazing bar cross casement, flanked by single glazing bar cross casements and in the side walls single glazing bar casements. In each outer gabled wing are 2 glazing bar sashes. Above, central ashlar shield in the single central bay, the gabled wings have single small glazing bar double sashes with single decorative cross arrow loops above. All openings have Tudor style hood moulds and label stops. To the left and set back is a later C19 gabled 2 storey plus attic 2 bay red brick wing with ashlar coped gables, kneelers and single stack with 3 shafts rising from the apex. 2 glazing bar sashes on both the ground and first floors with single similar sash above, all with Tudor style hood moulds and label stops, that on the top floor being continuous. The apex decorated with a simple stylised ashlar quatrefoil. Further left and set back is a red brick and cement rendered wing with balustraded parapet. 2 storeys, 3 bays. First floor band broken by the pediment. Central doorway with glazing bar and panelled double door and overlight topped with a pediment supported on brackets. Rising from the pediment are single outer large finials. Either side are single large glazing bar cross casements with 2 similar larger casements above. Further left are various C20 cement rendered wings with glazing bar casements and glazing bar doors. Attached to the right of the C18 range are similar C20 wings. Interior. Room to the left of the C18 doorway with bolection moulded fireplace, panelled walls and ornamental panelled ceiling. Eared architrave to panelled door. Room to the right has mid C18 fireplace with carved frieze and large shouldered, carved, architrave. Rear 1837 hall, the 2 doorways leading to the rooms at the front have Gothic panelling to doors and reveals. Panelled ceiling. Archway with Gothic panelling to reveal. Rear of main door with Gothic panelling and Gothic panelled surround. First floor has panelled ceilings to 3 rooms in the C19 wing, panels of 2 of the rooms decorated with egg and dart and bead motif with large central plaster face to each panel. These rooms also with panelled walls and one with smaller, similar carved fireplace to that on the ground floor. C19 dogleg stair with machine turned balusters. Birthplace of Erasmus Darwin. (NCC/js)