Bridge House

Bridge House

This is a house, formerly a farmhouse, dating from the 16th century with additions and alterations from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. It is timber-framed with English bond brick walling and a plain tile roof.

The house is two storeys tall. It originally had a baffle-entry 3-cell plan, now altered to form a double-pile plan. The entrance front is of seven bays and features early 20th century glazing. To the left of centre is a projecting porch with a hipped roof and a 6-panelled door, the upper 2 panels glazed and the lower 4 raised and fielded. At ground floor level are windows with exposed sash boxes of 3 x 4 panes, with a small single-light casement between the far right pair. The first floor has 6 two-light sashes of 3 x 4 panes, also with a small casement between the two far sashes. The eaves have coving. At the ridge, slightly left of centre, is a cross-axial stack with a moulded base and three diamond-shaped flues, with a further chimney stack at the left-hand gable end.

The right-hand side shows a recessed gable end of the 17th century portion on the left with a single-light ground floor window. A 20th century wing overlaps this, extending to the right with random fenestration, an attic gable at the left, and a hipped half-dormer window at the right. Immediately to the right of this is a projecting brick chimney stack of Flemish bond brick with tumbled brickwork, offsets and an arched panel, containing 3 flues.

On the left-hand side is a projecting ground floor 19th century addition with a hipped roof. Behind this is a gable end of English bond brick with crow steps having saddlebacked coping. To the left of this is a projecting 2-storey 20th century range with a doorway at the right and a double sash window at the left, divided by a king mullion with each sash of 3 x 4 panes. A two-light casement sits above at first floor level.

The rear has an early 20th century wing projecting at the left with a canted bay window of 2 storeys height and a jettied gable above. Recessed at the right is a range with brick walling to the ground floor, a doorway beneath the right-hand gable, three 2-light and one single-light window to the ground floor, and two 3-light casements and a single-light to the first floor. A further projecting wing at the right has a plank door to the ground floor and a 3-light mullioned first floor window.

Interior

The hall contains chamfered 16th century ceiling beams and chamfered joists with stepped run-out stops. The walls are lined with 17th and early 20th century panelling with moulded muntins and cross-rails with arched flutings to the top of some panels. Above the fireplace, originally wider, are 3 arched panels with fluted pilaster pieces between. A panelled doorway with nailhead decoration, perhaps originally an external door, opens from the hall. A staircase leads off from the opposite side of the hearth from the lobby.

The dining room has an ovolo moulded ceiling beam with a complex end stop of triple broached form and similar mouldings to the mid-rail. The walling is close-studded. One blocked window and a blocked 19th century serving hatch are visible. The joists appear to be 18th century date, and at that time one end of the axial beam may have been cut short. A massive hearth with early 20th century brick and an ovolo-moulded bressumer with stepped run-out end stop is present. To the outshut corridor, the rear wall is exposed and shows close-studded walling above a brick plinth with one blocked window.

An Edwardian staircase in 17th century style occupies the space, consisting of 2 flights with panelled newels, twisted balusters, a heavy moulded handrail, and an upper newel post with spiralling ribs brought in from elsewhere.

The early 20th century drawing room and sitting room feature a cyma-moulded cornice. To the first floor in the present corridor is close-studded walling with jowled wall posts and 17th century window openings with ovolo moulded mullions, inserted into earlier openings. A 17th century plank door serves one bedroom, and a series of 18th century doors, each of 2 panels, are present elsewhere.