Common Garden, Including Boundary And Garden Walls

Common Garden, Rolvenden

A detached house built around 1927 for the son of Lord Geddes of Frensham Manor, designed in the Vernacular Revival style. The architect remains unidentified but likely also refurbished Frensham Manor for Lord Geddes during the 1920s. The house was constructed on land purchased from a Mr Burden on 17th October 1927, replacing an earlier cottage called Common Garden Cottage that had stood on the site since at least 1870-71.

The building is constructed of handmade bricks laid in English bond, with round-headed stone window dressings (possibly inspired by windows from the Dering estate), and a tiled roof with two tall brick chimneystacks.

The plan is roughly cruciform. The ground floor comprises a central staircase hall with a large drawing room to the north and a smaller dining room to the south. A service corridor runs to the west, connecting a kitchen to the south with a larder and boot room to the north. The upper floor contains two bedrooms, a dressing room and bathroom.

The east front, which serves as the entrance elevation, is of one storey with attics. It features a central projecting porch with a crow-stepped gable supported on kneelers and a staircase window above. The entrance comprises an 18-panelled oak door with three glazed panels, recessed behind a two-centred arch, set in the south side of the gable. A mullioned and transomed casement in a brick surround sits above. To the left is a triple round-headed stone arch, and to the right is a triple-hipped dormer with a four-light mullioned and transomed window below.

The south elevation has a projecting east bay with a hipped roof containing a hipped dormer with triple casement and a triple mullioned and transomed casement below. The west bay is set back, featuring a tall brick chimneystack and a triple casement. The west elevation includes a projecting south bay with hipped roof and hipped dormer, alongside a hipped porch with two small casement windows in brick surrounds and a tradesman's entrance with plank door facing south. The northern part displays two hipped dormers with casement windows, and the ground floor features a central round-headed stone triple arch casement with two similar single-arched casements flanking it. The north end has a large projecting external brick chimneystack with crow-stepped gable and two diagonally-set stacks, with a small window to the west. Attached to the south and north walls are low curved or straight brick walls with cast iron pedestrian gates. To the west of the house is a crinkle crankle brick wall approximately six feet high, with three curved bays facing south.

The interior features a staircase hall with an oak well staircase with turned balusters, carved handrail, square newelposts with urn finials and an attached lattice screen. A series of carved oak doors open from the hall. The drawing room contains an open fireplace with an oak bressumer featuring a two-inch chamfer with lambs tongue stops and a one-inch-wide brick surround in stretcher bond incorporating a tall brick canopy and shaped brackets. The oak ceiling has two axial beams with run-out stops and similar floor joists. The dining room has a corner-splayed brick fireplace with moulded brick shelf and four-centred arch. An oak serving hatch with linenfold panelling opens from the dining room, and the ceiling is of oak with roll-moulded beams. A carved oak door to the west leads to the service end with a corridor lined with a series of carved oak doors, some of which are sliding. The kitchen retains the original chimney bressumer, with a moulded plate shelf supported on brackets and a wooden enunciator fixed to the wall. The larder has original shelves, and the boot room contains a folding surface.

A late example of a small gentleman's house in Vernacular Revival style, built of good quality materials with varied elevational treatment. The house remains unaltered with well-crafted interior features and has group value with the neighbouring Frensham Manor (Grade II).