Brackenhurst Hall And Attached Coach House, Orangery And Garden Wall

Country house, now an agricultural college, with attached former coach house, orangery and garden wall.

Built in 1828 for the Reverend Thomas Coats Cane and extensively remodelled around 1890 for W N Hicking, the building was converted to an agricultural college in 1949. It is constructed of yellow and red brick with stone dressings, hipped slate and lead roofs, a moulded plinth and cornice, a balustrade, four side wall stacks and five ridge stacks.

The major garden front displays two storeys with a range of eight windows arranged 2/4/2, with a set back centre and flanking wings. A tetrastyle Ionic portico with dentilled cornice, curved central steps and balustrade between the piers occupies the centre. Beneath the portico are four glazing bar windows, and in the wings beyond, two sashes. To the right stands a set back three-storey range with irregular fenestration, including a door with overlight and an oval window with keystones.

The symmetrical south front contains five windows, with a central two-storey bow window featuring a shaped balcony and railing on scroll brackets. A central French window is flanked by single sashes, with further single sashes beyond. Below, similar fenestration with taller sashes is arranged likewise, with the far left window altered to a French window in the late 19th century. All these windows have multi-keystoned lintels.

The irregular entrance front has a near-symmetrical block to the right of two storeys with a three-window range and projecting pedimented centre. Above and behind rises an octagonal wooden bell turret with a copper ogee dome and wind vane. Below is a tetrastyle Ionic portico covering a studded plank door flanked by single leaded windows. To the left extends a five-window range arranged 1/3/1, with the central three windows set back. A central French window and balcony are flanked by two sashes. Below, a central door with overlight flanks two sashes, with a small oval window between the right pair. Further left stands a four-stage square water tower with string courses and quoins; the lower stages have glazing bar sashes with the third stage featuring a moulded segmental head, while the fourth stage has an oval window with keystones. Beyond is a link building from 1949 with keystoned lintels.

The former coach house to the north is of two storeys with a hipped roof topped by an octagonal wooden turret with lead dome. Its south side displays a round-headed carriage arch and to the right a pair of 20th-century segment-headed carriage doors. The west side has three full-height round-headed recesses with 20th-century casements on each floor.

The single-storey former orangery to the north east has a plinth, moulded cornice and glazed hipped roof. Its projecting pedimented centre features four Doric columns with a central door, fanlight and side lights. On either side are single 15-pane windows with fanlights below rendered panels. Beyond these, on either side, are three similar windows, with two more in the east end. To the right is a brick garden wall with ramped stone coping, approximately 25 metres long. To the south east of the house stands a balustraded stone garden wall approximately 70 metres long with a pair of square piers with moulded caps at the far end. At the south west corner is a similar wall approximately 35 metres long with three square piers bearing obelisk finials.

The interior contains an entrance hall altered around 1949, featuring a reused late 17th-century oak gallery around three sides. A pargetted panelled coved ceiling with octagonal toplight and a reused late 17th-century dogleg stair with panelling are present. A pargetted frieze runs along the landing and corridor.

The former library, now the Principal's office, has moulded wall panels and an enriched cornice. An early 19th-century hob grate with enriched eared architrave is accompanied by an eared and shouldered overmantel with plaster fruit festoons.

The former drawing room, now staff room, features fielded wall panels, enriched cornice and two marble fireplaces with basket grates and enriched mantelshelves. Wooden overmantel panels with shell crests and flower swags in late 17th-century style are present, along with enriched doorcases with cornices and a panelled plaster ceiling with heavy foliate borders.

This building was the birthplace of Viscount Allenby, 1861–1936, British commander in Palestine 1917–18.