West Farleigh Hall

West Farleigh Hall is a country house dated 1719 (as shown on a rainwater-head) with late 18th-century additions. The house is constructed of yellowish-red brick with brighter rubbed red brick dressings, detailing, and "chainâge", beneath a plain tile roof. It is a double-depth, two-storey building set on a moulded brick plinth with a moulded and dentilled brick eaves cornice.

The front elevation displays a sophisticated classical design with giant Doric pilasters at each end of the façade and four towards the centre—one pair delineating the three-bay entrance hall, the other pair flanking the central first-floor window. The parapet features a chamfered rendered coping with plain pilasters alternating with recessed chamfered panels. The hipped roof returns at the rear with slightly lower ridges.

The regular front fenestration consists of nine windows arranged three by three by three—slightly-recessed twelve-pane sashes with moulded wooden architraves, cambered heads, and splayed rubbed brick voussoirs dropped slightly at the centre to suggest keystones. Ground-floor windows are similar but with raised keystones and cut ogee soffits to the voussoirs of windows flanking the door. Doubly-recessed rectangular panels with a strip of plat band towards the centre and moulded cill separate the ground and first-floor windows; smaller doubly-recessed panels sit beneath the ground-floor windows. The central entrance comprises early 18th-century double doors, each of five fielded panels, with a late 18th-century porch addition featuring a moulded and modillioned broken-based triangular pediment on columns with fluted and reeded capitals, accessed by five steps with moulded treads. When the porch was added, the door lintel was lowered to conceal the top panel of each door, and a blind late 18th-century oculus was inserted immediately above the architrave.

The left return elevation is of red and grey brick in Flemish bond on a galleted ragstone plinth. A giant Doric pilaster marks each end, with that to the front returned from the front elevation. A plat band, moulded brick eaves cornice, and parapet with recessed red brick panels and plain coping complete the design. Five twelve-pane sashes with straight heads occupy the regular fenestration, set in open boxes with splayed rubbed brick voussoirs.

The right return elevation is also of red and grey brick in Flemish bond, though possibly a slightly later re-facing. It has a high brick plinth and dentilled brick eaves cornice. Blind arcading rises through the plat band, incorporating a small blocked window with splayed rubbed brick voussoirs towards the front and another blocked window on the first floor above it. A six-pane sash is positioned towards the rear. A later two-storey brick bay projects towards the centre. The roof hips to the rear with a return along the rear of the house.

The rear elevation is also arcaded, with a plat band, cornice, two six-pane first-floor sashes, and one obscured window.

A central rear wing probably sits on earlier foundations (reference is made to a 1719 engraving published in Country Life, 21st September 1967). The right (south) elevation of this wing employs style and materials similar to the rear and right return elevations of the main range, with three six-pane first-floor sashes featuring splayed rubbed brick voussoirs, a central ridge stack, and doors of six flush panels with four-light rectangular fanlights and segmental heads within arcading (one positioned under the stack). At the rear end, the wing returns to the right in the same style with a hipped roof, three six-pane first-floor sashes, and a similar central door. The right (south) gable end of this wing is arcaded, with three six-pane first-floor sashes and a pump. The left (north) side of the central rear wing is not arcaded but has a plain parapet and three twelve-pane sashes.

The interior is notable for its exceptional entrance hall of two-storey height. A balustraded gallery or landing with enriched and moulded string, twisted balusters, and moulded handrail runs along the rear wall. At each end, the gallery bows forwards before rising six steps to the first-floor rooms, with moulded treads, enriched cheeks, and a wreathed balustrade to the rear side. Where the main balustrade changes direction, there is in each case a cluster of four slender balusters sharing the same vase base and Corinthian capital. At the right end, the hall extends back into the rear range to accommodate an open-well, open-string staircase with moulded cheeks and treads, twisted balusters, and a wreathed, moulded handrail, rising to the rear side of the gallery (which forms a bridge across the front of the stairwell). Ramped raised and moulded dado panelling lines the stairwell and extends along the rear of the gallery. Fielded panelling beneath the gallery (except to the right) sits flush with the front of the string and also covers the rest of the hall, where it is corniced at first-floor level. The panelling beneath the gallery is backed on the closet side by 17th-century-style panelling. A giant fluted Corinthian pier interrupts and supports the gallery balustrade at the centre. Panelled doors open to the left and right ground-floor rooms, that to the right smaller and with sunk panels. An early 18th-century panelled door to the centre of the rear wall of the gallery provides access to the first floor. Panelled archways with moulded imposts and keystones at the head mark each flight of stairs from the gallery to the first-floor rooms.

The ground-floor room to the left is panelled and corniced. The smaller ground-floor room to the right (the hall is slightly asymmetrical) features round-headed niches with radiating glazing bars flanking the fireplace. A small rear ground-floor room to the left is fitted with late 18th-century library shelving and retains a bas-relief portrait of Locke over a small corner fireplace, elements salvaged from The Rookery, Bromley Common (demolished 1946). Panelled first-floor rooms to the left and right contain 18th-century fireplaces and panelled window shutters.

The house was known in the 18th century as Smith's Hall. References: Country Life, 11th May 1918, 14th and 21st September 1967.