The Walters Arms

WINNERSH

1921/0/10021 BEARWOOD ROAD Sindlesham The Walters Arms

GV II Public House. C. 1865. Probably Robert Kerr. Red brick with blue brick and ashlar dressings and a fishscale slate roof. Two storeys with attic. Jacobean. The windows have stone mullions but contain sashes with diamond-patterned wooden glazing bars. South west [road] front: 3 bays. To left of centre is a projecting, gabled, single-storey porch, with buttresses. At right is a canted, single-storey bay with hipped roof and at left is a projecting gabled wing which has mullioned windows of 3 lights to the ground floor, 2 lights to the first floor and a single light in the attics. The other 2 first floor windows are of 2 lights and that at right has a gablet above with an ashlar-surrounded trefoil. The red brick walling has decorative lattice patterns of diapering and there are lavish ashlar dressings to the windows, gables and porch. The right hand reveal is near-symmetrical at left with 3 bays. The central, sunken bay has 2-light windows to both floors. Projecting at either side of it [but not to the same point] are gabled wings with 3-light windows at ground floor level which diminish to 2 lights at first floor level and single lights to the attic. As elsewhere, there are stone kneelers and coping to the gables. Recessed and extending at right is a single storey service wing (or stables) which may be of later C19 date: this has been altered. Interior: not inspected. The building forms a group with Bearwood College [grade II*] and the Main Lodge to Bear Wood [grade II] [q.v.], and thsu forms part of a good ensemble of related buildings. HISTORY: This building is a good example of a mid-Victorian estate public house in the Jacobean style which adds considerably to the designed texture of the village. Externally it is in fine original condition. The village was built by John Walter III, proprietor of 'The Times', for whom Bearwood House was built by Robert Kerr.

Sources: Mark Girouard, The Victorian Country House, Yale, 1979; Gillian Darley, Villages of Vision, Architectural Press, 1975; Robert Kerr, The Gentleman's House, 1864.