Charters

Charters is a large country house, built in 1938 by Adie, Button and Partners for Frank Parkinson, and subsequently altered and extended in the mid-20th century. It is situated within parkland and now serves as offices. The house is constructed with brick faced with small Portland stone slabs, and has a reinforced concrete flat roof with a parapet. The building stands on an L-shaped plan, with a further extension built in a matching style to the west.

The exterior is two storeys high. The windows are metal casement windows with glazing bars. The north front, which serves as the entrance front, is irregular in design. Two wings project forward at a lower level; the left wing features a 10-light window on the first floor, and the right wing has an 18-light window on the first floor. At ground floor on the left is a 10-light window, continuous with a glazed entrance porch containing double-glazed entrance doors and a flat canopy. To the right is a similar window to that above it. A six-light window is set back above the entrance. A projecting service wing, with similar fenestration, is located on the right-hand side.

The south front, which faces the garden, is also irregular. A five-bay section is glazed to the full height, with small panes on the upper levels; the parapet is broken by an insert of iron balustrade above this section. To the left are seven tall windows, with three seven-light windows at first floor. To the right are three similar ground floor windows, and on the first floor a three-light window on the left and a five-light window on the right, turning the corner to provide 10 lights on the eastern return. The extension projects significantly to the left.

The interior entrance hall features a black marble dog-leg staircase with wrought-iron balusters decorated with classical motifs. Doors have bronze grilles, moulded architraves incorporating bead and reel and leaf ornament, and dentilled cornices enriched with egg and dart detail. A panelled boardroom retains an elaborate ceiling cornice with bead and reel and leaf ornament, as well as a swan-neck pediment over two double doors, adorned with cherubs and foliage in the cornice. An elaborate bathroom is also present.