Lane House

1655/0/10038 01-FEB-05

ALVECHURCH AQUEDUCT LANE Lane House

II

House, formerly farmhouse. Mid-C18. Built of narrow red brick in a bond of 3 rows of stretchers to one row of headers; occasional blue bricks. Hand-made clay tile roof with brick part-stepped external end stacks to house and wings, with cornices and yellow pots; stepped eaves course with ball finials to front. U-shaped plan comprising main range with central entrance and deep cross wings at each end. Two storeys and attic and cellar. Front elevation has a 3-window range of casements with square panes and rubbed brick voussoirs. Central boarded front door with small-pane overlight. Side elevations have some wide windows under segmental arches; some at upper level retain panels of rectangular quarries tied to metal glazing bars incorporating metal-framed casements with decorative metal catches.

Interior: retains many contemporary furnishings and fittings. Wide central hall with flag floor; rear part glazed and panelled door. Wide oak closed string staircase with turned balusters and ball finials rising through two storeys. Drawing room to left and dining room to right with spine beams, chamfered and stopped. Exposed joists show marks of former ceiling. Doors to these polite rooms have deep moulded surrounds and are 6-panelled. Windows are cross-framed with inset metal casements and dividing glazing bar. Plain dark marble fireplace surround. Kitchen at rear right has unusual large smooth flags, similar beamed ceiling chamfered and stopped and very steep narrow back stairs to first floor. At rear left former wash-house and former dairy with similar flagged floor, 3 cross beams. Access to cellar with brick steps. Doors to service and upper rooms have plain chamfered pegged frames and wide boarded doors, many retaining their original hinges (including strap hinges and H-hinges), locks, handles and keys. Floorboards to first floor are original, wide and polished. Bedrooms have chamfered and stopped beams, exposed joists in wing, plain fireplaces, small windowed alcove with wall-pegs. Attic storey through main range and wings has purlins supported by what appear to be later inserted trusses not integral to the structure although with visible carpenters¿ marks. Left wing has traditional lath and plaster horizontal ceiling; right wing is plastered under rafters. A substantial Georgian farmhouse with evident, albeit small-scale social divisions between owners and servants, retaining most of its historic fabric, including a range of interesting fittings.