Bardsey Grange And Congreve Cottage Including Wall Attached To Rear

BARDSEY-CUM-RIGTON CORN MILL LANE SE34SE LS17 (south side) SE367434

7/7 Bardsey Grange and 5.2.73 Congreve Cottage including wall attached to rear (formerly listed as Bardsey Grange and wall to west of Bardsey Grange )

GV II

Large farmhouse, now 2 dwellings, and attached wall. Dated 1717, but perhaps with a C17 inner core, mid-late C18 extension, windows altered early-mid C19. Coursed rubble, partly-rendered, hammer-dressed stone to extension; red tile roof; brick stacks. T-shaped. 3-cell through-passage plan with rear wing and cell added to right end. Five 1st-floor windows. Quoins at junction with added cell. Doorway with mid-C20 gabled stone porch has small window above. To left, 2 windows with one above; to right, 2 windows with same above all with monolithic lintels, projecting sills and 4-pane sashes in flush-wood architraves. Added cell has doorway with monolithic lintel to left of single bay of sash windows. Gable stacks and 2 other ridge stacks, decorative tile ridge. Rear, from left: addition has doorway with margin-dressed lintel and narrow window above to right of window with keyed lintel, another above with monolithic lintel. Wing breaks forward and has gable stack and in its right return blocked doorway with tie stone jambs and dated lintel to left of sash window and inserted doorway with sash above. Main house, set back, has 3 bays of windows as front. Attached to left corner of rear wing is wall, probably C18. Large dressed sandstone blocks with ashlar coping pierced by gateway with margin-dressed piers with curved tops.

Baron Thorpe, treasurer to Oliver Cromwell c1649 lived for part of each year at Bardsey Grange. He died in 1665 and is buried in the Church of All Hallows (q.v.). The house was also the birthplace of William Congreve who was baptised in the nearby church 10th February 1669 but is buried in Westminster Abbey.

D. Crane Taylor, William Congreve (1931). J. C. Hodges, William Congreve, the Man (1941).

Listing NGR: SE3671443395