Details
TQ 67 41 BRENCHLEY WINDMILL HILL, BRENCHLEY
(east side)
15/192 Little Broad Oak including
railings and gate to garden
20.10.54 to the west and brick walls
to garden to the east (formerly
listed as Little Broad Oak with
Coach House and Stable wing
adjoining
II
House. Probably late C18 in origin, alterations of circa 1900 when the stable
block was absorbed into the house. English bond brick to the house, Flemish
bond to the stable block; hipped slate roofs; brick stacks.
Plan: The house faces west, overlooking and slightly set back from Windmill
Hill. Double depth plan, 3 rooms wide with a left of centre entrance into a
wide cross passage containing the stair, and a service stair to the basement,
which originally contained the kitchen and service rooms. Left hand front
room, probably the original dining room, heated from an axial stack on the
rear wall. To the right of the entrance there is a lobby to the front with a
small service room behind, this is probably a secondary arrangement. The
right end room, originally 2 rooms, now extends the full depth of the house
and is heated by a right end stack. The former stable block, adjoining and
set back at the left (north) end now contains the kitchen with extra
accommodation on the first floor. A short rear left wing, at right angles to
the main block, is C20 but in a style sympathetic to the original.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 6:4 window front, the 6 windows to the
former stable block, 4 windows to the house. Both blocks have hipped slate
roofs with deep eaves carried on shaped brackets arranged in threes. The
front elevation of the house is asymmetrical with regular bays. 5 stone steps
up to the large porch, to left of centre, which has Doric columns and a
moulded cornice to the entablature. C18 or early C19 6-panel front door
flanked by 3-pane glazed panels and framed by reeded pilasters. Segmental-
headed fanlight with delicate spiders' web glazing bars below a rubbed brick
segmental arch. Round-headed recesses frame the ground floor windows and
descend to frame the basement windows, the recesses linked by a brick
platband. Early C19 12-pane sashes to the ground floor, basement windows 3
over 3-pane sashes; 4 first floor 3 over 6-pane sashes, all the windows with
rubbed brick voussoirs. The left return has one bay of windows matching those
on the front. The right return has 2 end stacks, 2 first floor 3 over 9-pane
sashes and 2 ground floor C20 6-pane one-light casements. The rear elevation
has a C19 back door to the entrance passage with a moulded doorcase, and a
flat porch hood with a modillion frieze on moulded brackets. 3 first floor 3
over 6-pane sashes and, to left of centre a French window flanked by 16-pane
sashes, one of them late C20. The rear wing has a hipped roof. The converted
stable block and coach house to the left (north), has a 6-window front and
retains a probably early C19 stable door approximately in the centre below a
segmental arch, the door retaining ventilation louvres. Blocked doorway to
right, converted to a window; C20 stable door to left of centre. The four
left hand first floor windows are 2-light casements with square leaded panes
and arched heads. Other windows are 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-light, all C20 with
square leaded panes.
Interior: The house preserves circa late C18/early C19 joinery including
panelled doors with reeded doorcases, panelled shutters and deep skirting
boards. Good late C18/early C19 stair with alternating turned and stick
balusters, an open string and ramped, wreathed, mahogany handrail. C19
cornices survive in most of the principal rooms.
The boundary of the garden west of the house consists of C19 iron railings
with brick piers with ball finials flanking an iron gate with arrowhead
finials above the dog rail and a wrought iron head. The garden to the rear
(east) of the house is bounded by circa late C18/early C19 brick walls, the
north wall has a brick plinth and brick coping and probably pre-dates the east
wall. The railings, gates and walls are included in the listing.
Listing NGR: TQ6797341988
