Blenheim House, Headquarters Of The Royal Anglian Regiment

Blenheim House, headquarters of the Royal Anglian Regiment, was built in 1878 as a depot officers’ mess for the Beds, Herts, and Essex Regiment. It is constructed of yellow brick with rusticated quoins and has hipped slate roofs. The building follows an L-shaped plan.

The north front elevation is the principal six-bayed range, with a two-bayed cross-wing projecting at the west end. Stacks are visible at the east end where the main range joins the cross-wing, and one bay eastwards. A projecting door porch is situated in the main range, adjacent to the cross-wing. All windows are set in recessed panels; the ground floor windows have round heads with keystones, while the first-floor windows are flat-headed with decorative soffits, with the bricks laid diagonally. The windows are sash windows with glazing bars: the ground floor has 3x6 panes and upper radial panes, and the first floor has 3x4 panes. A string course runs between the floors and connects the arch springers of the ground-floor windows. The porch features a semicircular arched doorway with a fanlight and a soffit decorated with chevron and leaf motifs, a keystone, and radial glazing bars (3 panes). Corinthianesque pilasters support an attic stage with guilloche panels under the parapet.

The west elevation is similar to the north but comprises two adjoining blocks. The north block continues the system of the front elevation, while the south block is shorter with a roof break at the junction and stacks at the junction and at the north and south ends. The north block has four bays and the south block has two, incorporating a tall ground-floor five-cant bay window with a flat roof and guilloche panels. Below the parapet, recessed windows have glazing bars (3x6 panes), and the first-floor windows above the bay window have 3x2 panes. The south block has four bays with windows in recessed panels and 3x4 panes of glazing bars.

The south elevation is irregular reflecting a courtyard in the internal angle of the L-shaped plan. On the west side, the south end of the west block features a wide stack and two sash windows with glazing bars (ground floor 2x4 panes, first floor 3x4 panes). In the east courtyard, an enclosing wall backs onto a projecting section behind the north range. A first-floor window has glazing bars – one 3x4 panes, one 2x4 panes, and one 1x4 panes. A porch on the east side is of similar style to the front porch, with a round-headed sash window (2x4 panes) and a rear projection to the north wing with a first-floor window with glazing bars (1x4 panes). A door faces south, featuring a round-headed design, a glazed fanlight, radial glazing bars and four flush panels. A window to the rear of the north range, overlooking the courtyard, is a sash window with four-by-four panes of glazing bars.

The interior retains some original heavily framed and panelled doors. Both staircases, leading from the two porches, have cast iron banister rails, cast as pairs linked at the base. A stained glass window is on the landing of the principal staircase on the north front.