Brentwood Library

Details

BRENTWOOD

TQ5993 COPTFOLD ROAD 723-1/12/61 Brentwood Library 21/11/89

GV II

Police station, now public library. Designed 1844, completed 1851, extended in later C19, converted to library c1932. Red brick in Flemish bond with dressings of gault brick and stucco, roofed with slate. Square plan with central stack, entrance porch to east. Large C19 extension to north. Smaller single-storey extensions to north and south of porch. A small single-storey building north-east of the original police station, originally freestanding, of the same date or soon afterwards, is now connected with the north extension. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. The west elevation (to Library Road) has on the ground floor 2 original sashes of 8+8 lights, with painted reveals, flat brick arches, and some handmade glass, and on the first floor 2 original sashes of 8+4 lights, otherwise similar, symmetrically arranged. Projecting quoins of gault brick. Plain frieze, simple moulded cornice and plain parapet, stuccoed. Pyramidal roof. The south elevation (to Queen's Road) has on each floor a central sash similar to those in the west elevation, and on the ground floor a later sash of 6+6 lights; similar quoin and eaves details. On the east elevation the lower storey is mainly covered by the porch and extensions to each side of it, except the south-east quoin above the extension. Door of 2 beaded flush panels and 2 glazed panels with chamfered brick jambs, chamfered shallow segmental arch of gault brick, and one original limestone step. The porch has a plain frieze, simple cornice and parapet of stucco, and a flat roof. To the south of it a small extension is keyed in, and some of the original quoin bricks reused to form a similar south-east return; simple stucco cornice and parapet and flat roof. INTERIOR: to the north of the original windows retain internal shutters of double sash type, on both storeys; these are rare survivals, seldom if ever found in domestic buildings except on the ground floor, meriting special care. Original dogleg stair with closed string, turned pine newels, stick balusters and moulded pine handrail. HISTORICAL NOTE: Essex was the first English county to form a police force under the County Police Act of 1839. This site was acquired by the Justices of the Peace on 27 February 1840 from John Duncan, and was then described as bounded to the south by the Queen's Road, to the west by Well Lane (now Library Road) and to the north by Back Road (now Coptfield Road). The agreement with the builder, Thomas Hill, is dated 23 March 1844, and includes a site plan and south and west elevations. A second porch is shown to the north-west, similar to the other, and a single-storey wing extending north. Part of this former porch is incorporated in the brickwork of the present north extension. The police station was opened in 1851; no reason is known for the delay in completing construction. Listed particularly for its historic interest as one of the earliest police stations in England which can be positively identified.

Listing NGR: TQ5953693549

Legacy

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Legacy System number:

373403

Legacy System:

LBS

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