Great Offley House

OFFLEY KINGS WALDEN ROAD TL 1426 (West side) Great Offley

13/107 Great Offley House - GV II

House. Late medieval former open hall house now middle range, floor and chimney inserted in hall in early C17, rear extension mid/late C17, new brick E range early/mid C18 with front re-windowed and modernised 1802 (date on rainwater heads). Timber framed middle range and part of W range cased in red brick, E front of red brick with some blue brick, tuck pointed. Steep old red tile roofs. A larger rectangular house of 2 storeys, cellars and attics facing E, comprising 3 parallel ranges. E front 3 windows wide with flat gauged arches to each floor. 3 gabled dormers on roofslope with 2-lights casement windows. Triple-sash windows with small panes on both floors, but single sash window with 6/6 panes over the central entrance. Pilastered doorcase with fluted consoles, entablature and round headed fanlight to half-glazed double doors in panelled reveals. Dated rainwater heads. E range has internal gable chimneys and 2 rooms separated by the entrance and stair hall. Entrance at rear to middle range on line of original cross-passage. This range is of 3 structural bays originally with hall bay central and service bay to S open to the roof, and 2 storeys N parlour bay. Clasped-purlin roof with smoke-blackened rafters and long curved wind-braces. Stair probably in NE corner. When internal chimney built blocking cross-passage and hall floored it became a lobby-entry house and S room became parlour with fireplace and N room a service room. A low single-storey service wing was later added at SW. C18 E range addition was first use of brick walling. Newels to attic stair have 'patera' finials also found at Wards Farmhouse, Lilley. (RCHM Typescript).

Listing NGR: TL1456926485