Fanshaws

TL 30 NW BRICKENDON LIBERTY FANSHAWS LANE

3/50 Fanshaws -

• II Country house, now offices. 1883-5 for Henry William Demaine Saunders, service wing heightened 1912, leased to Barclay family 1909-1963, then became HQ of the Institute of the Motor Industry. Red brick with red sandstone dressings and windows. Moulded brick cornices. Steep red tile roofs with parapets. A compact, 2 storeys and attics, square mansion in Jacobean style facing S and entered from N, with rectangular double-pile service wing attached at NE and projecting to N. House planned round large central hall lit by bay window on E, smoking room to NW, drawing room to SW and dining room to SE, with library on S between. Each, except the library, have 2 rectangular bay windows. Asymmetrical N front with entrance up steps inside long narrow projecting porch with ball finials to swept parapet, classical entablature cantelevered as bracketed hood. 2-storeys rectangular bay window to RH with leaded glazing in ovolo-moulded mullioned and transomed stone windows. Shaped gable rises above parapet over bay and above large canted oriel window lighting staircase to LH. Moulded plinth and deep cornices at 1st floor and eaves level, with moulded capping to parapet. Symmetrical W elevation has 2 rectangular gabled bays with a single-storey canted bay lighting the hall between. Roundel in one gable has date '1884'. Nearly symmetrical S front with rectangular projecting 2-storeys gabled bay at each end but arched stone doorway with fanlight to drawing room on LH of mullioned and transomed window to library. Rich effect from egg-and-dart enrichment of brick string courses at 2 levels. Interior in Jacobean style with 3/4 oak panelling to hall, elaborate Ionic chimneypiece with strapwork centrepiece to overmantle. Dentilled cornice and strapwork ceiling. Elaborate cut-string stair in arched enclosure out of one corner of hall. C18 style panelling with bolection mouldings in drawing room. Half panelled library with arcaded overmantle, linen-fold panels and Jacobean fan-like central motif. De Morgan style polychrome tiles flank grate. Low panelled dado to dining room with egg-and-dart cornice. Gadrooned shelf to chimneypiece with re-used Jacobean grotesque terms, 2 to each side. Service wing 4 steps down through door at NE. Arcaded upper stair hall. (Amanda Evans and Wendy Keeling Fanshaws 1985. Centenary booklet published by Motor Industry Management Ltd. at Fanshaws).

Listing NGR: TL3202508314