Listed Building record MDR5259 - Rose Hill, Princess Road, Dronfield

Although Rose Hill is dated 1719, it still has low mullioned windows and a thin semi-circular door-head. (1) Mid-17th century house, remodelled in 1719, and with additions made in the 19th century. It is constructed of coursed coal measures sandstone with quoins, coped gables with moulded kneelers, an ashlar gable and ridge stacks and a stone slated roof. It has an asymmetrical plan, with a three bay central range, two contemporary gabled wings to the rear, with 19th century infill between them and additions to the end of the western rear wing. The house was described in sale papers in 1725 as 'newly erected'. (2) Rose Hill was bought from Rowland Morewood of Alfreton by Robert Greenwood, lead merchant, in 1716, and has a datestone of 1719. Greenwood became bankrupt in 1725 and the house and estate had to be sold. The sale papers describe the house as ‘new erected’. Inside, however, on what seems to have once been an outside wall, there is a stone dated 1612 and, judging also from the curious roof arrangement, it would seem that this may be a 17th century house (although not necessarily one of 1612) that had been substantially remodelled in 1719/1720. (3) An internal date stone of 1612 points to an earlier house in the 17th century. It was rebuilt by Robert Greenwood, lead merchant, with fashionable features such as an unusual stone-blaustraded parapet and round-headed pediment over the central doorway, dated 1719. Like several other lead and millstone merchants he found Dronfield an attactive and convenient place to live on the trade route from the Peak District to the inland port of Bawtry. A branch of the Lucas family lived here in the 19th century. (4)