Bellgables

WILBURTON CHURCH LANE TL 4875; TL 4775 (North Side)

18/38; 19/38 Bellgables 5.2.52 GV II

House. Late C17. Red brick, Flemish bond, in the front and mainly English bond in the rear with plain tile roof and shaped gable end parapets on kneelers. End stack and original side stack to rear wall, now internal. Three room plan extended at the rear by three service wings of one room plan each. Two storeys and attic. Two C19 gable dormers. First floor has five twelve pane flush frame hung sashes in original openings, but with lowered sills. The facade was probably symmetrical originally, having the doorway in the centre bay. Two ground floor twelve pane hung sashes are in original openings but the sills have been lowered. A narrower opening has been enlarged for a similar twelve pane hung sash and this is possibly the site of the doorway. Reset at the side of the doorway is a stone panel carved with the date 1672 and believed to have been found in the garden. It is possibly the date of the house. The west gable end has header arches to two windows. There is an original red brick wall at the west end which incorporates reused coursed limestone blocks and some gable coping of the same material. At the rear are two linked gabled service wings. Red brick, English bond on plinth with rebuilt upper walls and tumbled parapets. One storey and attic. At the east end another service wing is of similar date but the roof was raised in C19. Interior: The original plan was probably of three rooms, having a kitchen at the east end with an inglenook, a hall with hearth and shaped rear wall in the centre and a parlour also with smaller hearth at the west end. It is possible that there was a fourth room to take the hall and staircase. There appears to have been some disturbance of the staircase. This would have taken place in order to gain access to the rear ranges. The staircase is of open well type with a closed string, toads back rail and square newels. The turned balusters to an upper flight are original and the rest have been made in replica. The roof is of staggered butt purlin type. One of the rear wings preserves it inglenook and a back staircase was inserted to lead to the attic of the main part of the house.

Pevsner: Buildings of England, p485

Listing NGR: TL4800575021