Council Offices And Oak Cottage

STOWMARKET

TM0558 MILTON ROAD 614-1/4/93 (North West side) 28/07/50 Nos.1, 3 AND 5 Council Offices and Oak Cottage (Formerly Listed as: MILTON ROAD (North East side) Nos.1, 3 AND 5 The Old Vicarage (3) and Oak Cottage (5))

II

Vicarage, now council offices since 1974 and a house. C17 origins, considerably altered and enlarged since. Timber-framed, rendered, pebbledashed and colourwashed. Plain tile roofs. The 2-storey north-western block is the C17 part, with an early C18 gabled cross wing added to the south-east gable end. This also 2-storey. The 2-storey range running north-east of this is also early C18, and constitutes Oak Cottage. c1860-70 the south-east extensions were added, now forming the council chamber. These terminate in a hipped bay against the gable with 4-light Geometric tracery windows and one-light returns. In the late C18 general additions of oriel windows. Oak Cottage, extending north-east with replaced 2-light casements, 2 projecting oriels to the first floor and a cluster of 3 2/2 ground-floor sashes. Gabled roof with central ridge stack. The C17 north-west wing illuminated through various types of sashes. Gabled roof and central ridge stack. Both these wings of 4 irregular bays. The cross wing between them with oriels to the south-west gable and the south-east flank, next to an external stack. Both these oriels appear in mid C18 drawings. The C19 extension has a dormer and a C20 entrance block of one storey. INTERIOR. Council chamber entered through a 2-panel early C18 door. Dentil cornice. Timber-framed rear parts with chamfered bridging beams with tongue stops. Doorways and fireplaces generally C20. The Rev. Dr. Thomas Young, a tutor of John Milton, was vicar here 1628-55. From his letters it is obvious that Milton visited the house. The Rev. A.G. Hollingsworth, author of "The History of Stowmarket", 1844, also lived here. (Double H: Stowmarket - A Book of Records: Stowmarket: 1983-: 43, 124).

Listing NGR: TM0505358536