Newnum House Brentwood School

Details

BRENTWOOD

TQ5993 SHENFIELD ROAD 723-1/12/114 (South side) Newnum House, Brentwood School

GV II

House, now part of Brentwood School (part qv). c1600, late C18, Late C19. Red brick, peg tile and slate roofs. Plan of 3 conjoined units (1) principal range to street with projecting cross-wing at the E end, stacks with diagonal shafts at E and W ends. (2) a smaller rectangular unit at the W end, set back and projecting at the back to S. (3) long stable block, also projecting S from rear of E end of principal range. EXTERIOR: 2 storey and partial attics. N front elevation (1) Late C19 Queen Anne style irregular range with a mid-height string course and dentilled eaves cornice, ground floor, 3 windows, segment headed, horned sashes with glazing bars, to W 2 narrow ones, as a pair, each 2x4 panes, to E single one 3x4 panes combined with projecting ground floor brick porch. Porch has elliptical head, door recessed and has upper glazing with glazing bars, 3x4 panes. First floor 3 horned sash windows with glazing bars, 3x4 panes. To E, projecting wing has large 2-storey bowed bay windows with straight roof gable over carried on prominent shaped bearers. Gable rendered with a Venetian casement window having rectangular leaded panes, also moulded barge boards. Bow windows both of 5 casement lights with glazing bars, ground floor 3x5 panes, first floor 3x4 panes. (2) recessed unit at W end in same style with dentilled eave, ground and first floor have multiple-horned sash windows with fluted pilasters between lights, all lights with glazing bars, 2x4 panes. Ground floor window 5 lights with doorway at W end having a flat cornice hood, door boarded with upper glazing with glazing bars, 3x2 panes. Roof has stack with diagonal shafts through front pitch. Also at E end, triangular fully glazed dormer window with central 2-paned casement and 7 surrounding panes. Rear S elevation. (1) Central multi-light window similar to front elevation, on ground and first floors. Ground floor window bowed, 4 casement lights with glazing bars, each 3x5 panes, first floor 6 casements lights slightly projecting as oriel on shaped brackets, each light 2x3 panes. Between windows the hall is tile-hung which continues above to triangular dormer window rendered with double casement window with glazing bars, 4x2 panes. A stack with diagonal shafts rises from the roof pitch to E To W (2) rear S projecting of 2 bays with half hipped gable above, ground floor deeply recessed on S and E sides - overhang supported on brick piers. Ground floor 4-light mullioned casement window and one single casement. First floor, 2 sash windows with horns, moulded architrave and cornice hood, glazing bars, each 4x5 panes. E face beneath overhang, ground floor plain C20 3-panelled door, first floor multi-light casement window, 2,3,2 lights. Flat-headed dormer above of 3 casements in roof pitch. To W (3), Stable block, rear walls have some chequered ground floor brickwork, hipped slate roof. First floor 5 metal casement windows plus another at half-height, ground floor three C20 doors with partial glazing. Short length of wall added at S end shaped down to ground floor level. Behind on S face, first-floor metal casement window 3x3 panes. E end elevation, N end, house end gable, tile-hung, central stack rebuilt at top but older brick work below of C17 type with mainly English bond, ground floor brickwork both N and S of stack, also C17 type. N of stack, upper walling return wall of front with dentilled cornice and mid height string course. S of stack, late C19 upper rebuilding. Ground floor segment headed window of 6 casement lights with leaded panes. Hood mould runs into string course to N. First floor, 2 segment headed windows with brick rusticated reveals and sills, depressed panels above at attic level. To S, late C18 stable. E front, windows and door arches have very good rubbed brick voussoirs with stone sills. First floor, 5 window range. 4 as original, sashes with glazing bars, 4x3 panes, one now altered to casement type, ground floor 4 elliptical headed sash windows with glazing bars, 4x4 panes, one C20 inserted metal framed with glazing bars, 3x4 panes, straight concrete lintel. One blocked doorway to S end with stone imposts and round headed voussoir arch. Shape of replaced brickwork suggests another, probably at centre of range. A mounting block in brick and stone of 2 steps and platform is set towards N end of range. INTERIOR: complex and reorganised several times. Originally timber-framed in early C17 with some studding behind panelling visible. Roof of side purlin type with one wind brace still evident, axial ceiling joist with ovolo moulding on first floor. First-floor rear room has panelling of early C17 type, about half of which is original, rest probably late C19. Stair to attic still has early C18 turned balusters and shaped handrail. Some panelling may also be of this date. The late C19 re-working of the house added a Jacobean style moulded plaster ceiling and the whole outer front, back and stacks in the fashionable eclectic style. Newnum House was once called Shenfield House and was bought by Brentwood School in the inter-war period. Newnum House, Roden House (qv), Mitre House (qv), together with the monument to William Hunter (qv), Old House (qv) and The Hermitage (qv) make a group.

Listing NGR: TQ5975993894

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LBS

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