Gatehouse, 1 and 2 Manor House Estate

Gatehouse and cottages, in the manner of a Tudor gatehouse, c 1929-30, refurbished 2013.

MATERIALS Handmade red brick, brick herringbone nogging, tile hanging, timber framing, plain tile roofs.

PLAN Central covered entrance arch flanked by two-storey cottages (Nos 1 and 2 ), each laid out with a lobby opening from the covered archway into a single ground floor room and two first floor rooms with service rooms beyond.

EXTERIOR Symmetrical, in two storeys beneath a wide hipped roof from which deep roofs splay to each side over a single-storey bay. The centrepiece has an exposed timber frame and projects slightly at first floor level. It is framed by very tall paired brick ridge stacks, set diagonally. The ground floor is predominantly in brick, the first floor tile hung. Under the archway walls are of exposed timber framing with rendered panels beneath tile hanging. Plank front doors with moulded muntins have ornate strap hinges, latches and letterboxes. To the side of each is an ornate boot scraper and to No 1 an attachment for a lamp.

On the roadside, the entrance is flanked by three-light cross casements with square-paned leaded lights above rendered timber-framed panels. At first floor, is a five-light window, the central light round-arched, above brick-nogged and tile panels, into which is set a stone coat of arms. Above the entrance the beam is inscribed, ‘Welcome ever smiles and farewell goes out sighing’ (Troilus and Cressida).

To each side there are two small ground floor windows with diamond leaded lights, and at first floor a two-light and three-light casement window, each with square leaded lights. The rear is similarly treated but has a smaller, three-light central first floor window; some ground floor openings have been renewed.

INTERIOR Each cottage had a baffle screen originally fitted with a bench, forming the side of an inglenook to a fireplace flanked by a small fixed window. The screens have been removed and the chamfered ceiling beams and plain bressumers above the former inglenooks have been reset at ceiling height. Both cottages have a canted chimney breast with a brick basket arch and simple timber mantelshelf. No 1 (north) had an internal plank and moulded muntin door with ornate strap hinges and latch (this is believed to have been removed in 2012/13), No 2 (south) has a door of three plain panels.