16, Bishopric

Details

TQ 1630
877/1/10011
05-JAN-03

BISHOPRIC
16

II

Originally house, later shops with accommodation above. Earliest part C15 two bay crosswing on rear east side to open hall and service rooms later demolished, possibly when the existing front range was built. Late C16 or early C17 front range of four bays with near contemporary two bay wing to rear west side, refurbished in early C18. There is a mid C19 rear infill block between the two side wings and late C20 replacement of front wall in similar style to earlier C19 refronting.

Timber framed building, front range rendered with slate roof with off central cemented chimneystack with three stacks set diagonally. Some timber framing visible to left side wall. Right side elevation tile-hung to first floor and rear elevation has some brickwork.

Appears to be a lobby entrance plan with two wings, of which the right side one is the remaining crosswing of the earlier open hall house, so that the pre-C19 parts form a U-plan and the centre was filled in in the C19. Front elevation of two storeys: three windows. Three two storey splayed bays with verticals only to upper floor and multipane windows to ground floor with panelled risers. Tall doorcase in front of chimneystack with pediment, plain pilasters and eight-pane fanlight. Right side elevation has stuccoed ground floor and C20 tilehanging above and C19 carved bargeboards. The return facing the rear has decorative C19 bargeboards, C19 six pane sash to first floor and flush four-panelled door and twelve pane sash with horns to ground floor.

Left side elevation is rendered to front range and the projecting wing has a sandstone base to a chimneystack and one bay of C17 timber framing with brick stretcher bond infill . Ground floor has later C19 sash with horns and two C20 windows to first floor. Gable end of this wing to rear has C19 brickwork on ground floor and weatherboarding above. Ground floor has later C19 sash with horns, blocked in opening to right and above are C20 casements and C19 decorative bargeboards. Central C19 infill wing of brick in Sussex bond with gable with decorative bargeboards. First floor has one eight-pane sash and one six-pane sash, ground floor has twenty-pane sash and right side doorcase with rectangular fanlight and plank door.

INTERIOR: Ground floor has some stone paving. Left side bay of front range has C20 spine beam and floor joists but the central bay has late C16 or early C17 spine beam with two inch chamfer and chamfered floor joists with lambs tongue stops. The right side bay has spine beam with one inch chamfer and lambs tongue stops and floor joists square in section. The rear right side wing has a chamfered spine beam and some reused floor joists. Some mid C18 brickwork to rear of fine c1710 dogleg staircase with twisted balusters square newel posts and moulded handrails. Above is a large octagonal lantern, probably of mid C19 date, added when the central rear extension obliterated light to the stairwell and the arched opening to the right is of the same period.

The first floor has to the central room an early C18 bolection-moulded fireplace with late C19 firegrate with tiled surround with tulip decoration. The right side room has an early C18 fireplace with keystone, depressed arches and pilasters. The left side room has an early C19 wooden fireplace with firegrate. The main chimney has two square alcoves on the first floor facing south at right angles to the two early C18 fireplaces and were probably added at the same time. The uneven floor suggested original wide floorboards over several rooms on the first floor but at the time of inspection this was covered in fitted carpet. On the first floor much of the frame was visible including a panel on the original rear wall with exposed wattle and daub. The rear left wing stack has a mid to late C18 or C19 angle set first floor fireplace heating the western chamber. The roof to the east rear wing has the original C15 roof with common rafters with collar beam in numerical order. The rear west wing has a roof of common rafters without collar beams of early C18 date. The front range late C16 or early C17 roof has an end wall with brick nogging, wattle and daub partition, plank door and rafters (including some smoke-blackened reused mediaeval rafters, possibly from the demolished C15 open hall) numbered in sequence with carpenters' marks. It is of clasped side-purlin construction. The main chimneystack brickwork visible in the attic shows late C16 or early C17 brickwork.

[ Report by David and Barbara Martin "An Archaeological interpretative Survey of 16 Bishopric, Horsham" February 2001 commissioned by Belmont Homes. Project Ref. 1337.
Photograph of 16 Bishopric on page 106 of Dr Annabelle Hughes "Horsham Houses" with caption suggesting it is of C16 date.]

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

489941

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Hughes, A, Horsham Houses, (1986), 106

End of official list entry

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