Flat Numbers 13 To 26 (Consecutively)

Gayhurst Court, now converted to flats (numbers 13 to 26), is a country house of outstanding historical and architectural importance, built between 1597 and circa 1603 for William Moulsoe and Sir Everard Digby (his son-in-law). The south-west wing incorporates an earlier 16th-century house. The north front was remodelled around 1750 for George Wright, and the building underwent substantial restoration and internal work by the architect William Burges between 1859 and 1872 for Lord Carrington.

The house is constructed of coursed limestone with concealed roofs and stone chimneys. The south-east and north-east fronts are of two storeys with a plinth, strings over windows, and parapets. The south-east front features five ogee gables with moulded copings and finials on the apex and parapet. The entrance front has a recessed central section of five gabled bays, with the centre projecting as a three-storey porch. This porch has an arched doorway with architrave, impost and keyblocks, flanked by Doric columns on plinths supporting an entablature with triglyph frieze broken forward over the columns. Above is an eight-light leaded stone mullioned and transomed window flanked by Ionic columns on plinths, whose top moulding carries round as a string with a stone cartouche in the centre below. The columns support the entablature and second floor, which oversails and contains a four-light stone mullioned window. The porch interior has a panelled dado and seats at the sides. The gabled bays flanking the porch have four-light stone mullioned windows to the second floor and eight-light mullioned and transomed windows below. The outer bays project into the angles with the wings and have two- and four-light windows in the return walls. Outer projecting wings with higher parapets (that on the south-west side false at second floor, masking the roof of the earlier house) contain twelve-light stone mullioned and transomed windows to each floor, with first-floor windows taller. Inner elevations have one bay of eight-light windows. The north-east front has a plain parapet and five bays, with the centre a projecting three-storey porch with three arched openings to the ground floor with architraves, keyblocks, and moulded imposts continuing as a band. Above are eight-light mullioned and transomed windows. One bay of similar windows appears on each side, and at the outer corners are angular bays full height with four-light mullioned and transomed windows on each face. All windows on both fronts have leaded lights with large lozenge-shaped and small square panes; some on the north-east front have been altered to sash windows.

The north-west front was altered circa 1750 by George Wright and consists of a two-storey central section of seven bays with ashlar dressings, plinth, first-floor band, bracketed cornice and blocking course. Sash windows in architrave surrounds are set throughout; first-floor windows are taller with pulvinated friezes and alternate triangular and segmental pediments, the former with carved console brackets. In the centre is an arched doorway in a Doric porch with triglyph frieze and balustraded parapet. The flanking wings of the Jacobean house were altered in the 18th century. These are three storeys with a Venetian window on the ground floor, a triangular pedimented sash window to the first floor, and a small sash window with architrave swept out to the cill on the second floor. The south-west elevation has a tiled roof and three gables, apparently part of the earlier house. A service wing is attached, listed separately.

The interior contains a central hall with simple 18th-century plaster panelling and a coved ceiling with a stone chimney piece. In the centre of the north-east end is a large stone arch flanked by fluted Corinthian pilasters carrying an entablature, with a soffit richly carved. The north-east wing (Flat 24) contains the Abbess's Room in the south room with elaborate decorations by Burges from 1861 and 1872, featuring a monumental chimney piece with a coved lintel carved with mermaids and a brass fire surround. The room is entirely panelled and painted with narrow panels containing flowers, executed by Frederick Smallfield, and has delicate ironwork to the doors. The north room has oak panelling, a 17th-century carved overmantel, and a moulded plaster ceiling. The north-west room, formerly the dining room, has two large stone chimney pieces by Burges (1861) with overmantels carved by Nicholls representing Paradise Lost and Regained.

The main staircase is early 18th-century with twisted balusters, a panelled dado, a plaster cornice and ornamental plaster panel to the upper wall. Eighteenth-century doors and doorcases are present. The first-floor landing has a staircase and doorway by Burges (1859) with a heavy stone tympanum inscribed 'Guard Room' below a stone staircase supported on a gigantic corbel representing Caliban, looking towards a smaller corbel carving of Ariel. Heavy stone newels support balustrades and a panelled soffit with a coffered ceiling above containing octagonal pointed panels and pendants. A service staircase, also by Burges, has a simple iron balustrade. In the rooms at the south-west end is a fireplace by Burges, carved with mermaids and dated 1869.