Norland House

Norland House

A house dating from around 1700, with significant extensions and alterations made in the mid-18th century, late 18th century, and 1837. The building underwent further alterations in the mid to late 20th century.

The main front elevation was originally constructed in narrow red brick with yellow brick details, similar in character to No. 125 West End, March (dated 1691). The front was refaced in the late 18th century with narrow grey brick in English bond. This wall was rebuilt in the mid-1970s using the original brick. The building has a steeply pitched slate roof, originally parapeted, with end stacks. Yellow brick quoins and tumbling are visible on the rear gable end. The plan is L-shaped, with two storeys and an attic. The symmetrical late 18th century front elevation features five recessed hung sash windows of twelve panes each, flanked by two dormers with triangular pediments and a central dormer with a segmental pediment. A central doorway with late 20th century double doors (circa 1975) provides the main entrance.

To the rear, adjoining the original circa 1700 kitchen, is a mid-18th century service extension of narrow local brick, with rebuilt upper courses. This extension has a tiled roof with tumbled gable end and an original red and yellow brick ridge stack. The upper courses date to the 19th century. This section has one storey and an attic, with two dormers from the 1970s in the attic storey. The original red and burnt brick remains visible, with segmental arches to nine openings at ground floor level. One retains its original panelled door with fittings; the remainder have 20th century windows and doors.

A further extension was constructed to the rear in 1837 by Thomas Aveling. It is built in grey brick with yellow brick detailing to the door and window arches. A dated stone bearing the initials T.A. and the date 1837 is located at first floor level.

Interior

The hall and stairbay contain an early 18th century screen archway with keyblock on panelled pilasters. An original staircase with four flights and two landings features a closed string with pulvinated frieze, pear-shaped balusters, moulded rail, square newels, and panelling. The upper flights have a dado rail.

Both ground floor front rooms display sunken panelling in two heights. The dining room to the left has a double cornice, corner fireplace, and panelled shutters, with an original connecting door to the kitchen. The parlour is more richly decorated, featuring a modillion eaves cornice and a band of quatrefoils below the dado rail. A corner fireplace with flanking fluted pilasters, plain entablature, and frieze of quatrefoils serves this room. An original doorcase surround with dentil cornice and similar quatrefoil frieze is present, with another cornice reset above it.

At first floor, the chamber over the dining room contains raised and fielded panelling in two heights and a fireplace to the gable end with bolection-moulded surround. An original doorway, now blocked, leads to the chamber over the kitchen, which has one wall lined with bolection-moulded panelling (possibly reset) and a bolection-moulded fireplace surround, both of early 18th century date.

The chamber over the parlour has similar raised and fielded panelling with a dentil cornice. Its fireplace, set against the gable end wall and dating to the mid-18th century, is flanked by Doric pilasters with quatrefoils to the metopes. A shouldered overmantel with smaller bands of quatrefoils above and below frames the original mantel, which is decorated with egg and dart, dentil, and quatrefoil mouldings and foliated bosses.

A closet formerly occupied the first floor staircase, with access from doorways in each of the two front chambers. The closet has been removed, but the doorways remain. The mid-18th century addition has been converted to flats, though a newel and rail of early 18th century date survive, possibly in situ.