Belstead House

Details

TM 14 SW 2/3 BELSTEAD BELSTEAD HOUSE II House, now County Council residential college. Circa C16 or early C17, enlarged and remodelled in 1936 by Harold Hooper and Garrard of Ipswich. The C16/17 range is timber framed, extended probably in brick and the whole is now rendered with panels of stippled pargetting. Plain tile roofs with gabled ends. Red brick stacks of 1936. Plan All that remains of the circa late C16 or early C17 house is about 3 timber-frame bays on an east-west axis, situated immediately to the left (south) of the existing entrance hall. This was probably part of a larger house, the rest of which no longer exists. The west end of the surviving timber framed range was probably no more than 3 bays originally since it did not extend further to the west (weathered studding at the west end of the roof indicates that this was an external wall) and might have been a wing, perhaps cross-wing, to the original house. In 1936 the Council was entirely remodelled and greatly extended by the architects Harold Hooper and Garrard in a Vernacular Regional style reusing features, some or all of which might have been imported from other houses. The result- ing large house has an entrance hall on the right (north) of the old range. The 1936 extensions included a parallel cross-wing to the left (south) of the old range which has an office at the front, a library partly within the old range and stairhall (passage) and stairwell at the back. In a range behind that a large drawing? room (lecture room 1) and smaller adjoining room (common room), on the west and south sides of which there is a post-1936 loggia. The service rooms were probably in the long wing to the right (north) of the entrance hall. This service wing has small cross-wings and servants' staircase and has recently (1980s) been extended at the north and by the additional of a dining hall for its present use as a County Council residential college. In spite of this new use the house has been little altered and retains much of its former country house character. Exterior: 2 storeys and 2 storeys and attic. Long asymmetrical east front of 1:1:2:1:1:2:1 bays. Gabled cross-wing to left with a gable (end of original range) to its right to the right of which is the recessed entrance porch and to the right of the porch the long service range with 2 projecting gables. All C20 casements with small leaded panes. The recessed porch is lined in 1936 timber framing and has a C20 ledged door in a moulded frame. The cross-wing to the left has a large red brick lateral stack on its right hand side. The left hand (south) return has an asymmetrical gabled elevation with similar fenestration. The new (west) elevation has project- ing ranges to the right and the service range is set back on the left and at the extreme left (north) end the 1980's dining hall. Interior is largely of 1936 and the few earlier features might have been imported. The original range has heavy gunstock- jointed posts and a common rafter roof which appears to be intact (though reinforced) under a later roof. At the west end of this roof original studding is weathered on the west side suggesting it was an end gable. On the ground floor of this range there are 2 ovolo moulded ceiling beams in the library and in the chamber above a moulded plaster ceiling which is either extensively restored or made from reused C17 parts. It consists of 4 panels divided by intersecting beams with alternating roses and fleur- de-lis and an acanthus leaf basis at the intersection. The panels have central bosses with radiating acanthus leaves; the fields of the panels are not original and have incised lines radiating out to semi-circles containing small leaves. The panelling in this room and on the ground floor is of C17 type but much if not all of it seems to be C20. Similarly the moulded beams in the entrance hall are probably C20 but the moulded beam (roll, cavetto and ribbon) in the rear room (now) common room) is late C16 or early C17 and reused as a lintel. The former drawing room (lecture room) at the back has a reused C18 wooden chimneypiece with an eared architectrave and carved festoons, but the ceiling is circa 1936. The 1936 staircase is in C18 style with turned balusters and acorn finials to the newels. At the top of the stairs in the attic some ovolo moulded wooden windows reused as a screen. Note: The house is said to have been a farmhouse when Major Quilter bought it in circa 1901. It was known as Hill House when it was remodelled and extended in 1936. Its use as Judges' lodgings was presumably after the Second World War. Sources: Information provided by Ruth Castle, the manager of Belstead House. Inside the house there is a photograph of the house taken in about 1936 and giving the architects' names.

Listing NGR: TM1315742156

Legacy

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Legacy System number:

277381

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LBS

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