Nursery Farmhouse

TL 80 SW WOODHAM MORTIMER BURNHAM ROAD

5/126 Nursery Farmhouse 30.12.59

• 11*

House. C16 of earlier origin with early C18 facade and later alterations. Timber framed, red and black brick faced. Left and right red brick chimney stacks with attached octagonal shafts. Dentilled eaves cornice. 3 first floor, 2 ground floor windows all C20 small paned casements, those to ground floor with segmental arches. Casement window to return gable attic. Central vertically boarded door, flat canopy over. Internally the 2 front rooms each with angled rear corner fireplaces. Ground floor left fireplace with C17 wooden moulded surround and mantel. Sun Insurance Plaque formerly on outside wall and dated 1774 is attached to surround. Semi-circular red brick hearth. Moulded gun rack over. Panelled cupboard. First floor right fireplace, C17 moulded surround and mantel, moulded cornice, panelled cupboard. The panel over the fireplace is late C17 painted and is alleged to depict the Fire of London, with South Bank foreground, river and flames arising from buildings on the far bank, old St. Pauls with the Tower of London to right are discernable. The rear C16 staircase is inserted into an earlier building. Moulded string and handrail. The angled splat balusters follow the line of the dogleg 2 storey and attic stairs. The walls have 11 half height panels, each with a circa 1680-1715 painting depicting revelling Bacchi and Satyrs. Some paintings are of single figures with musical instruments, some are groups of figures with goats, sheep and bulls, one with a man faced leopard. 2 figures are blowing bubbles. The paintings have been inspected by Mr. Clive Rouse and staff of the British Museum, to date no other similar paintings are known. There are several moulded board doors and also vertically boarded doors. Chamfered bridging joists to original building. The building was known C18 as Salters Folly - Mr. Salter lived at Tyndales, Southend Road. Brick facade probably by Obediah Barker, Brickmaker. - Information supplied by Mrs. P. Ryan. RCHM 4.

Listing NGR: TL8122204380