Gorseside

Gorseside is a building that originally served as a farmhouse and has been used as offices. It dates back to the 17th century, with additions from the 18th and 19th centuries, including a gabled entrance porch dated 1873, and 20th-century modifications. The structure is timber framed with a red brick exterior and a plain tiled roof, standing two stories and one and a half stories tall.

The front of the building features a 17th-century gabled wing to the left of the center. To its right is the 17th-century spinal wing, which has been raised in height, and to the left is a 19th-century addition made of darker, plum brick. The gabled porch is positioned to the right of center. The windows across the front are timber casements with cambered heads, mostly consisting of three lights, with the exception of a canted oriel window on the first floor at the far right. There are chimney stacks on either side of the gabled wing and at the right side of the building. At the rear, there is a 20th-century two-story bathroom wing to the left of center and a ground floor lean-to. To the left of this is a one and a half story range from the 18th century, which features a gabled dormer that indicates the original height of the spinal 17th-century range before its roof was raised.

Inside, the entrance hall has York stone flooring. In the spinal wing, there is evidence of a corner post, a substantial spine beam, and a girding beam at ground floor level. The cross wing also has a substantial spine beam at ground floor level. In the roof space, the cross wing features a clasped-purlin roof with two wind braces and a timber-framed gable end with brick infill.

A thermographic survey of the building has shown that there is closed studded external walling in the gable end of the cross wing and in the spinal range, including a close-studded gable end that was embedded in the walling before it was raised in height. The one and a half story wing at the rear has thinner scantling studding with passing bracing, suggesting that it is an 18th-century addition.

Gorseside has group value with The Mansion, Berkhamsted Hill.