Banisters

Banisters is a Grade II* farmhouse, now a large house, located on Fleet Hill in Finchampstead. It dates back to the 16th century, with alterations made in the 17th century, early 19th century, and mid-20th century. The building features a combination of timber framing and brick construction, topped with an old tile roof. Originally, the house was U-shaped with wings extending to the north. In 1683, an additional bay was added to the west end, and the south front along with the gables to the east and west were faced with brickwork.

The house has two storeys and an attic. The southern section is constructed of brick and includes a plinth, a first-floor string course, a dentil string above the first-floor windows, and a band of raised brickwork below the eaves. It has coped gable ends and features a 19th-century chimney positioned right of centre on the ridge. The facade consists of five bays with large segmental-headed three-light leaded casement windows set in wooden frames. A projecting central porch is adorned with a string course that continues around the first-floor windows and is topped with a hipped roof. The ground floor features a three-centred arched opening with moulded brick springers and a key-block, flanked by brick pilasters with caps. Above this, there is a semi-circular three-light moulded and mullioned oriel window with a flat lead roof and an ogee brick base that includes a date stone at the foot. The east and west gable ends each have one bay of casement windows; the west end attic is blocked under a drip mould made of half-round bricks, and the ground floor window at this end has an early 19th-century Gothic cusped light.

On the north front, the original timber-framed gables are visible, with the space between filled in during the early 19th century by a section that includes two smaller gables and a 20th-century gable to the right, featuring late 20th-century casements and a panelled garden door with a glass hood above. Inside, the ground floor showcases large beams that are chamfered with plain stops, along with a late 17th-century staircase featuring a barley sugar balustrade.