Snape House and Old Snape, with loggia, dwarf walls, retaining walls, stone bears and sundial, Wadhurst

Snape House and Old Snape comprises an early 17th-century farmhouse, known as Old Snape, which was dramatically transformed by large additions built between 1892 and 1904. The architect RP Whellock designed these later additions for George Barham, creating the part of the building now known as Snape House.

Materials and Construction

The south-west range, Old Snape, is built of brick with tile-hanging, though it may originally have been timber-framed. The late 19th- and early 20th-century additions to the north-east, Snape House, are constructed of rock-faced local sandstone, also with tile hanging. The roofs are covered with plain tiles throughout. Brick chimneys serve both sections: those to the south-west range have been rebuilt in the 20th century, while those on the later north-eastern additions are Tudor in inspiration, with diagonal ribs to each face. A chimney on the west elevation has dentillated brick capping, though the capping has been rebuilt on the others. Most of the original windows survive in the late 19th- and early 20th-century part of the house, some retaining bevelled glass.

Plan and Development

The 17th-century former farmhouse to the south-west stands on a roughly west-east axis. Two parallel later wings were added at right-angles to the north: the western wing probably dates from the later 17th century, while the eastern wing perhaps dates from the early 18th century. An in-line extension at the west end of the original range, dating from about 1900, includes an additional wing to the north alongside the earlier wings. Small attached blocks at the west end date from approximately the same period.

Barham's mansion begins with an addition of 1893 or shortly afterwards at the east end of the farmhouse, with the new stair cutting into the north-east corner of the north-east range and continuing at right angles to the north, forming an L-plan. This was extended northwards by an addition completed in 1904.

Exterior: Old Snape (South-West Range)

The southern range of the former farmhouse is five windows wide. The two westernmost bays, representing the approximate 1900 addition, are slightly recessed. A rebuilt plain brick stack stands at the western end of each section. The building is two storeys high over a cellar, with the upper storey hung with plain tiles. The brickwork of the original section is in Flemish bond with some burnt headers. The brickwork of the western section is also in Flemish bond, with chequerwork.

At the centre of the three-bay eastern section is a doorway protected by a timber hood on curved brackets, possibly of 18th-century date. The door has projecting fillets passing over a glazed section and has a rectangular overlight. A doorway is set in the eastern bay of the western section, with the hood and overlight reproduced; the door has glazed panels. The windows on this elevation have replacement eight-over-eight horned sash frames.

The western gable end reflects Whellock's recasting of this part of the building, with moulded bargeboards and the gable decorated with applied waney timber braces. Attached to the northern part of this elevation is a gabled outhouse with lunettes to the gables and a mullioned window to the west, all with heavy sills; small openings in the north elevation are thought to be later. The use of this building is unknown, though it has been suggested it may have been a coal store. Beside it to the south is a small WC outshut; the gap between these additions has been subsequently infilled.

The north elevation of the former farmhouse consists of the gable ends of the two earlier north-south wings to the east, and the wider gable end of the around 1900 western wing. The three gables are given architectural unity as part of the around 1900 phase, with tile-hanging at first-floor level and gables decorated with 'half-timbering' of waney timbers below bargeboards, as on the western elevation, with attic windows. The ground-floor brickwork shows some variation: the brickwork to the earlier ranges is comparable with that to the eastern section of the south elevation, though with much rebuilding, while the chequered brickwork to the later western range matches that of the western section on the south elevation. The fenestration is irregular, with horizontal openings—several of which are altered—containing replacement timber casement frames. At the eastern end is a first-floor window lighting the stair, with leaded lattice glazing.

Exterior: Snape House (Late 19th- and Early 20th-Century Mansion)

The mansion built for George Barham is eclectic and irregular, with a predominantly Tudor theme. The principal elevation faces east, towards the terraced gardens. The earlier portion, dating from around 1893, is to the south, with a central stone entrance tower that has an ecclesiastical appearance. The entrance itself has a splayed three-centred-arched door opening with an exaggerated keystone, sheltered by a heavy gabled timber hood with a tiled roof, the brackets resting on stone corbels. The original double doors survive, with pointed-arched panels containing stained glass with Barham's heraldic emblem: the muzzled bear holding the shield with his arms and motto, 'FORTIS ET PATIENS'.

At first-floor level is a window opening with paired round-headed transomed lights and a horizontal moulding above, containing a carved portrait of Barham within a keystone. The window is framed by diagonal rib-mouldings. The upper stage of the tower has a parapet ramped to the corners with stone ball finials, and a tiled pyramidal roof with a weathervane.

To either side are gabled bays: that to the south is stepped back, while that to the north projects. Each has stonework to the ground floor, tile-hanging with arrowhead tiles to the first floor—which in each case has a timber mullioned and transomed window with glass painted with birds to the upper lights—and timber bracing to the gables beneath deep moulded bargeboards. The southern bay, which is in line with the original farmhouse range, has a cartouche to the gable containing the initials 'DB' in recognition of David Barham who first built the house, and the date '1617'. This bay contains a subsidiary entrance presumably intended for daily use, with leaded glazing surrounding the doorway. The doorway is protected by a verandah with a tiled pentice roof supported by timber posts on a dwarf stone wall, the floor with terracotta tiles laid in herringbone pattern. This continues around the southern elevation, where there is a glazed panel in the roof.

The southern elevation of this block, built in 1893 or shortly afterwards, serves as a stylistic bridge between the old and newer parts of the house. It has a large timber mullioned and transomed ground-floor window, and a first-floor window opening corresponding with those in the 17th-century range—though the sash frames are older two-over-two models—below a small eaves gable. The tile-hanging to the west of the window matches that on the 17th-century range, whilst the tile-hanging to the east matches that on the late 19th- and early 20th-century buildings.

Returning to the east elevation, the bay to the north of the entrance tower has a bay window to the ground floor with heraldic glass in the upper lights. The first floor is jettied, supported on paired timber brackets resting on corbels. In the gable is a cartouche bearing George Barham's arms and his motto.

The two bays to the north of this belong to Whellock's later building phase. The more southerly of these is slightly recessed. At ground-floor level, this bay is largely obscured by a late 20th-century conservatory, which does not contribute to the special interest of the building. Behind this, the ground floor is filled by an original timber screen and double doors, the doors fully glazed with curved tracery to the upper panels; the glazing of the screen to either side has four-centred arched panels. Across the top, the mullioned transom lights have leaded glazing with Tudor roses in coloured glass to the central panels. The entrance was originally protected by a glazed canopy with moulded timber ribs, to which the conservatory is now attached. Above this, the elevation is roughcast with applied timbers in imitation of timber framing. A central oriel rises to parapet level with a central band of leaded glazing. The parapet has a timber balustrade enclosing a roof terrace.

The northernmost bay, which is taller, is slightly jettied above ground-floor level. A ground-floor bay window with an arched central panel has corner brackets supporting the projection above, which has horizontal first-floor glazing between timbered panels. The applied timbering continues into the gable, within which is set a horizontal window with pointed-arched trefoil tracery of a type found elsewhere in this northernmost block, carved to resemble naturally-formed timber.

The north elevation of this range has a large central canted bay window rising through two storeys. In this bay, the quoins and the voussoirs to the lower windows have drafted margins. The window openings have segmental arches. The ground-floor window openings have two-over-two frames to the upper lights; the first-floor window openings have painted neo-classical glass to four-centred-arched upper lights; these windows have voussoirs carved with fleur-de-lys (devices from Barham's arms) and other motifs. Between ground- and first-floor windows is a panel carved with the date '1904 AD' (the year Barham received his knighthood) together with Barham's helm and crest with mantling, and motto. The bay is topped by a timbered gable containing a window with pointed trefoil tracery.

The western elevation of the late 19th- and early 20th-century mansion has a tall gabled bay to the north with a blind ground floor and irregular first-floor fenestration; in the timbered gable is a window with pointed trefoil tracery. Further south is a pair of gabled bays with chequered brickwork to the ground floor, and simple double doors flanked by windows with glass painted with branches and birds to the upper lights. The jettied first floor is hung with plain tiles, and the gables above are timbered. To the south, railings enclose stairs to the cellar. Further south, set back and abutting the southern range is a narrow bay with ashlar to the ground floor, which has a segmental-headed window with leaded lattice-glazing holding green crown glass, as well as a narrow opening; the upper stages of the bay are roughcast, with a timber mullioned window with heraldic glazing to the first floor, and a lattice-glazed window in the timbered gable.

Interior: Old Snape

The plan of the original 17th-century range has been considerably altered over time, and it is not currently possible to be certain about its early form. The earlier part of the building has a chimney at either end, each one heating a ground-floor room; these two rooms are now connected by a passage to the north. The room to the east forms a link with the late 19th- and early 20th-century mansion, being entered from the north through a wide timber opening at the south end of the stair enclosure. This room has a chimneypiece with end-blocks carved with Egyptian heads, apparently belonging to the late 19th- and early 20th-century phase.

The passage opens out into the western room, which in its turn is open to the room to the north of it. An oak structure consisting of an axial beam supported on a post with upward braces has been recently erected roughly at the junction between the original and later northern parts of the building. The western room is also accessed via the door in the southern elevation. This room has a large fireplace with a substantial chamfered bressumer. The original brick chimney opening has seen some rebuilding to the jambs and hearth. The room is spanned by an ovolo-moulded transverse beam with a runout stop at its south end; at the north end the beam is interrupted by the partition forming the northern passage, and then continues across the passage before being cut short by new oak beam. The 17th-century beam remains unstopped at this point, indicating that it originally continued further.

Within the later portion of the house to the north, there is a chimney-opening to the south with a chamfered bressumer; the age of this feature is uncertain. The room has a substantial moulded transverse beam, which is not thought to be original to this part of the house and may be part of the late 19th- and early 20th-century remodelling; the rough joists are also not original to the house. The passage continues into the late 19th- and early 20th-century portion of the building to the west and is opened to the north creating a large room. To the west are two service rooms with terracotta tiled floors; that to the east appears to have served as a dairy, being lined with glazed tiles, having a strip of Delft landscape tiles at dado level, with oxblood tiles below and cream tiles above. The stair is now in this part of the house to the north, rising straight against the eastern wall of the original range.

On the first floor, the southern range has a bedroom to the west and a bathroom to the east; both rooms are lacking their fireplaces, though there are 18th- or early 19th-century plain four-panelled doors. To the north, the eastern part of the eastern wing is now occupied by the late 19th-century stair of Barham's mansion. A fragment of 17th-century panelling survives in the opening between the two buildings, though the panelling may not be in its original position. The western part of this wing is now reconfigured to allow access to the late 19th-century house via a passage to the south; there is a bathroom to the north with modern fittings, but the area retains its original floorboards. Portions of a beam are visible between the two wings, chamfered to the west, supporting the theory that the western wing is earlier than the eastern one.

The room in the western wing, its south-east corner cut off to allow for the late 19th-century adjustments, has fitted cupboards of 18th- or early 19th-century date, and an enclosed staircase—probably of the same date—leading up to the roof. The roof over this wing is the only section that was accessible during the inspection; the space has rough flooring and retains portions of lath and plaster, suggesting that the roof space was inhabited at one time. The roof structure has seen much alteration and replacement, including the insertion of a ridge plank, but appears originally to have consisted of substantial common rafters with collars and clasped purlins.

Within the late 19th- and early 20th-century portion of the house to the west are two bedrooms with cast-iron fire-surrounds; the one in the southern room may be original, but the one to the north is a replacement.

Interior: Snape House

Within the late 19th- and early 20th-century mansion, the eclecticism of the exterior is more than equalled by that of the interior. The principal entrance leads to a double-height entrance hall with a timber roof structure supported on moulded stone corbels and a stone floor. Half-height panelling has a shield motif in the upper panels, below an egg and dart moulding. The front door has a timber surround carved with grotesque ornament in 17th-century style. At the west end of the hall is a gallery serving as the first-floor landing, which incorporates reused early 17th-century carved panelling in the form of an arcade, probably originally a frieze running around the upper part of a high-status room; this is flanked by reused carved caryatid figures from a different source.

At the west end of the hall is the stair, the stairwell entered through a wide three-centred arched frame decorated with grotesque carving, and the internal panels carved with the monogram 'GB'. The doorways leading to south and north are panelled, with egg and dart moulded architraves. To the south is the original entrance vestibule, now a kitchen; the room does not retain historic features other than the moulded plaster cornice.

To the north is the study, probably originally the dining room. The panelling and chimneypiece in this room are relatively recently installed; it is understood that a contemporary description of the building mentions a 'finely carved mantlepiece in five compartments, each separated from the other by a dwarf column surmounted by a figure', which may have once been here. The rib-work ceiling includes a large central panel with dense neoclassical plasterwork decoration. The floor is of parquet, as elsewhere in the principal ground-floor rooms. The stained glass in the windows includes George Barham's arms and motto, and roundels representing 'SNAPE FORGE' and 'SNAPE IRONWORKS'.

A wide passage entered at the north-west end of the entrance hall runs along the west side of the range and forms a continuation of the entrance hall in its panelling and flooring. At the north end, the hall or living room is entered through a wide framed opening; this room is also entered through the glazed screen at the centre of the east elevation. The room has half-height squared panelling with reeded rails and stiles, between a deep skirting and projecting cornice. A moulded beam runs from north to south with moulded joists. The fireplace has an elaborate enclosure with a canopy supported on freestanding fluted columns with carved lower parts in late 16th- and early 17th-century style, and corresponding pilasters against the panelled facing; the columns rest on bases forming low seats. There is a basket-arched stone fire-surround, and the cheeks of the chimney opening are lined with Delft tiles. The doorcases in this room incorporate similar columns, supporting projecting overdoors with broken pediments.

One of these, to the north, gives access to the drawing room, which is lavishly decorated in Adam style, with plasterwork to the frieze, the panels and the ceiling. The ceiling is enriched by painted roundels, that to the centre depicting a woman playing a harp with a putto. On the north side of the room, the canted bay window is emphasised by a screen with marble Ionic columns resting on projecting dwarf walls, with pilasters framing the opening. The bay window to the east is given a reduced treatment, being framed by Ionic pilasters. The 'continued' chimneypiece, with integral overmantel, has female term figures to the jambs and a central urn to the frieze. The overmantel mirror is in three sections, the upper part flanked by sphinxes and with a central festooned oval plate.

To the west of the passageway, the projecting bay contains a utility room and bathroom with entirely modern fittings. The original use of this area is not clear; it may always have provided WC facilities or may have been a servery for preparing food prior to presentation in the dining room.

The dog-leg stair between the ground and first floors rises within a stairwell within the north-east corner of the earlier house. The window lighting the stair includes reused stained-glass roundels, probably 16th-century, the upper two heraldic. The balustrade has twisted balusters; the turned balusters with elongated ball finials are carved with Tudor roses, thistles, and shamrocks. The stairwell leads on to the gallery through an archway similar to that at the entrance to the stairwell immediately below. To the east is the opening into the former farmhouse, with its residual small-square panelling. Panelling of the same type, also probably early 17th century, lines the stair landing to the south; it seems likely that this belonged to the earlier building. The stairwell itself is lined with replica panelling of the same type.

To the south of this is a bedroom with a fireplace having a plain classical marble chimneypiece, containing an Aesthetic Movement grate designed by Thomas Jeckyll, flanked by original chequered tiles. To the north, the rooms are accessed from the passageway running to the west of the house, which is divided in two by an archway similar to those found elsewhere, the upper flight of stairs rising from the southern section. To the east of this is a large bedroom containing a marble chimneypiece inset with coloured marbles and with delicate cartouches to the corner blocks; the original cast-iron grate survives, with tiles depicting rural scenes. The room retains its original deep moulded cornice; the deep skirting has been partially replaced.

The bedroom immediately to the east of the stair has suffered fire damage and does not retain historic features; a small bathroom has been inserted into one corner of this room. The bedroom occupying the north end of the building forms part of a suite with its own lobby and dressing room to the west. The neoclassical decoration of this room echoes that of the drawing room below, having a similar cornice and plasterwork ceiling; this includes roundels for paintings which, if they originally existed, are now painted over. The room includes a pair of original corner cupboards with curved corners suggesting columns, incorporating the room's decorative moulded dado rail. This room has lost its fireplace. The doorcase has a broken pediment; the six-panel door has egg and dart mouldings. The doors and doorcases to the lobby area are enriched with acanthus mouldings. The former dressing room is now a bathroom with modern fittings, but retains its original cornice.

The projecting area to the west of the passageway contains bathroom and utility areas and retains few original features. The upper stair is of a more modest scale than the main stair, with turned mirror balusters and with panelled cupboards below. On the second floor, within the higher, northern section of the house, the accommodation consists of a narrow passageway, relatively simply-appointed, with painted skirting, providing access to the roof terrace to the east (now occupied by solar panels) and to the northern room, which is preceded by a panelled lobby.

This room, which appears to have been a billiard and/or smoking room, is barrel-vaulted with timber ribs and ball pendants; raised and fielded panelling in small squares lines the walls, providing cupboards below the eaves with cockshead hinges. To the north, the projecting bay provides a vaulted alcove, framed by balusters, with built-in sideboards serving a seating area. In the eastern corners are built-in buffets with marble tops. Set into a niche to the south is a cylindrical cast-iron stove, decorated with floral panels and with a crested top.

Subsidiary Features

A loggia extends from the western end of the verandah, which encloses the south-eastern corner of the house, and leads southwards to meet the north end of the barn. The loggia, which has a hipped tiled roof, is open to the east—the roof supported on timber posts with upwards braces—and weatherboarded to the west; it is floored with black and white chequered tiles. There is an enclosed section at the southern end.

To the east and north of the house are dwarf walls belonging to the second phase of works, completed in about 1904. The walls are of the same limestone as the house. A wall encloses the terrace—the terrace itself has been renewed—and extends in front of the loggia; another continues along the north side of the formal gardens to the north and north-west of the house. The walls have a course of rock-faced stone on a shallow plinth, with squared ashlar capping, chamfered to the top. Low stone blocks are set into the capping at intervals along the length of the walls. Piers formed of stone blocks with drafted margins, with ball finials, flank steps leading to the main entrance and mark the north-east corner, as well as the opening for a path to the north-west of the house (one finial is missing here). Steps in front of the central recessed block may be later. At the north-west end of the wall is a stone bear sculpture on a plinth; the bear supports a shield bearing Barham's arms. (Bears of a similar model top the gate piers at the north-west entrance to the site.)

The gardens to the east of the house are terraced with retaining walls of squared limestone rubble, with ashlar capping interrupted by stone blocks, as on the dwarf walls immediately surrounding the house. In the westernmost wall, a flight of steps in line with the main entrance leads to the lawn below. The steps, narrowing towards the top, are enclosed by low walls with piers of the same type; the ball finials to the lower piers have been lost. This wall is terminated to the north by a pier similar to those on the terrace walls. Further south is a second flight of stairs, flanked by ashlar piers with ball finials; walls extend from these piers, curving westwards to enclose the lower lawn, terminated by stone bears.

In the centre of the formal garden to the north-west of the house is a stone sundial of baluster form, which is marked on the Ordnance Survey map of 1908.