The Old House

Details

BRENTWOOD

TQ5993 SHENFIELD ROAD 723-1/12/118 (North side) 21/10/58 The Old House (Formerly Listed as: SHENFIELD ROAD, Shenfield (North side) Old House Brentwood School)

GV II*

2 houses, later joined and part of Brentwood School, now community centre. C16, c1600, early C18, early C19, late C19. Red brick, roof peg tiles and slates. EXTERIOR: 2 storey and attics. S front elevation, 2 distinct facades (1) to E, 6 bay C18 frontage in red brick with giant end pilasters, shaped brick cornice and stone capped parapet, string course between storeys and windows with rubbed brick voussoirs and brick keystones. Second bay from E breaks forward slightly in front of early C17 stack with 6 shafts, diagonally clustered, peg-tiled roof. First-floor window of articulated bay has shaped brick head and rusticated surround. Door once below skilfully replaced by a window. All windows flush framed sashes with glazing bars, most 3x4 panes but E end bay 4x4. 3 flat-headed dormer windows behind parapet not in alignment with windows below, C20 renewal 2 casements with glazing bars, 3x3 panes, one sash 3x3 panes. (2) To W, taller early C18 frontage of 3 bays with wooden cornice and parapet, projecting early C19 bow windows through both storeys of different brick and cutting through earlier work. Also, early C19 ground-floor central door with simple pilaster surround, 2 upper panels now glazed and 2 lower panels, doorway reveals similar. Semicircular fanlight and cornice hood. Ground floor C19 3-cant bay window to W of central door with stuccoed cornice. Windows, ground floor, 3 in bay plus 2 in bow, all sashes with stuccoed reveals and with glazing bars, 3x4 panes. First floor 3 flush framed sashes with glazing bars, 3x4 panes. Single central sash in bow with glazing bars, 4x4 panes. 2 dormer windows in slate mansard roof behind parapet, both casements with glazing bars, 3x3 panes. Rear, N, elevation reflects facade (1) E unit timber-framed, broad gabled stair tower rising to attic in line with early C17 stack, having upper C20 fixed light and first floor C20 2-light casement window with glazing bars, 4x3 panes. Roof of C20 flat tiles with flat-roofed C20 dormer to W of stair tower with 2-light casement window with glazing bars, 4x3 panes. Rear wall rendered but mainly obscured by C20 flat roofed ground-floor addition with a 2-leaved plain door, one fixed window and 6 panelled door with 2 top-opening casement lights above. W face of C20 addition is C19 brick garden wall. (2) W unit, early C19 2-storey bow window reflecting front with 3 ground floor French windows with stucco sills, glazing bars, each 2x4 panes and 3 sash windows on first floor, slight segment heads, rubbed brick voussoirs and stuccoed reveals and sills, each with glazing bars, 3x4 panes. To W C19 2-window unit slightly projecting, flat roof behind parapet contiguous with bowed section, first-floor sash window with segment head, glazing bars, 3x4 panes, flat headed sash window with glazing bars, 4x4 panes. Below, on ground floor, C20 recessed glazed porch and door. W bay, C20 rendered and colourwashed with C20 casement window on ground and first floor. Slate mansard roof with cruciform stack to E has 3 flat roofed dormer windows with glazing bars, one 2x2, one 3x2, and one 4x2 panes. INTERIOR: (1) E unit has a fragment of a medieval rear wall on ground floor in NE corner with window mullion hole and shutter rebate. Also fragment of late medieval ceiling joists running towards adjoining property to E. Stair tower now with modern stair but apparently deepened (break in framing). Stack, rear timber wall and cased storey posts, off centre stack with C18 accommodation of facade to adapt to older house, all imply both a medieval phase and an early C17 3-celled lobby entrance house as the core of the building. Roof also of early C17, butt side purlin type and dormers cut through later with crude cutting away of purlins to give head height. (2) Western unit, early C19 open string stair with delicate mahogany handrail and slender main balusters, stylised tread brackets and ground floor newel, reeded and with Egyptian leaf decoration. Cased beams behind bow windows at back and front imply their addition to originally early C18 flat facades. The Old House and the Hermitage (qv), with Roden House (qv), Mitre House (qv) and Newnum House (qv) of Brentwood School, together with the monument to William Hunter (qv) form a group.

Listing NGR: TQ5973293955

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

373549

Legacy System:

LBS

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