Oakleigh House

Oakleigh House

A house built in the early 17th century as a farmhouse, given a new façade in the 1750s, and subsequently converted to a headteacher's house around 1945, a sixth-form centre in 1974 (both for Hamond's Grammar School), and then returned to private use in 1982.

The principal façade facing Market Place is of red brick with yellow-brick dressings, while the other elevations are of coursed flint with brick dressings. The roof is covered in black-glazed pantiles with brick chimney stacks.

The plan is single-pile, aligned north-west to south-east, with two rear cross wings. The space between these wings was infilled in the 20th century.

The symmetrical principal façade consists of two storeys with a dormer attic arranged in seven bays. In Queen Anne style, the centre three bays project forward and are defined by rusticated quoins, as are the ends of the elevation. At the centre is an eight-panelled door with lower two panels flush and the remainder raised and fielded; the panelled reveals follow an identical pattern. The door is set within a lugged and moulded doorcase with a triple keystone, framed by a Gibbs surround featuring a Doric metope frieze and a triangular pediment with modillions. The remainder of the elevation contains mid-18th century six-over-six unhorned sashes throughout, all with painted flat-arched heads and triple keystones. The exception is the central first-floor window, which is segmental-headed within a Gibbs surround. Above is a modillioned eaves cornice and a central triangular pediment containing a Diocletian window within a Gibbs surround. The gabled roof has two triangular-pedimented dormers fitted with two-over-two unhorned sashes.

The side returns are of coursed flint. The left-hand return has brick surrounds to three infilled windows of early-17th century date.

At the rear are two early-17th century cross wings with two banks of early-17th century wall-stacks that terminate in triple octagonal flues. The space between the wings was infilled in the 20th century.

Internally, the entrance hall features a lugged and pedimented fireplace surround (probably a late-20th century replica of an 18th century example), a modillion cornice, and four lugged doorcases with six-panelled doors. The northern reception room has a modillion cornice and a 20th century lugged fireplace beneath an 18th century lugged overmantel with corner paterae. The southern reception room has a dentil cornice.

In the southern cross wing, the dining room contains a wooden fireplace surround, probably 18th century. The adjoining kitchen has an exposed stop-chamfered ceiling beam and joists with deep splayed window openings. In the northern cross wing is an early-17th century closed-well staircase with splat balusters and a moulded handrail. Its square-section lower newel posts are carved with low-relief arabesque strapwork and have tall carved baluster finials with open neck pieces. The remaining newel posts are of plain square section with baluster finials. A secondary close-string staircase in the southern cross wing is of mid-18th century date and has turned balusters, column newels, and a moulded handrail. The roofs contain principal rafters with two tiers of butt purlins.