St Mary'S Gatehouse Including Attached Steps, Seat, Lamp, Drinking Fountain And Letterbox

SEVENOAKS OAKHILL ROAD TO 55 SW 4/158 No 64 St Mary's Gatehouse including attached Steps, Seat, Lamp, Drinking Fountain and Letterbox - II

House with attached steps, seat, street lamp, drinking fountain and letterbox. 1915. Built by Charles W Bowles FRIBA for Henry Percy Thompson as a memorial to his parents. House is in Tudor style, timber-framed with plaster infilling on sandstone base. Peg-tiled roof with 2 paired diagonally-set brick chimney stacks to ridge and large external brick and stone chimneystack with paired diagonal shafts to sides. 2 storeys: 3 windows. Each end has projecting gable with cusped barge-boards and pendants, close-studding with crenellated tie beams and quatre- foil ornaments. Central bay has 4-light mullioned casements with leaded lights, other windows are 2-light. Ground floor front has filled in Tudor arch flanked by cinquefoil-headed sidelights, probably original the main entrance, which is now in a porch on the right hand side elevation. To the left is an open passageway lead- ing to St Mary's Church (also endowed by Henry Percy Thompson). This has a moulded bressummer, 4 centred arch flanked by cinquefoil headed lights and rows of cinque- foil headed lights to side. Plastered ceiling with fleur-de-lys and shield motifs and lead plaque with inscription to the donor's parents. The rear elevation is close-studded and has a projecting gable with attached glazed stair- case. Interior has a staircase with splat balusters, wooden fireplace with Delft tiles. Attached to the house is a section of curved walling of stone, brick and tiles with a series of stone steps, which divides in the middle to enclose a triangular wooden seat with an Art Nouveau lamp standard comprising square wooden pier with square glass and iron lantern surmounted by finial. Attached to the left-hand side is a stone wall incorporating a metal drinking fountain and a Victorian wall letter box. Behind the house the flight of curved stone steps continues, terminating in 2 brick piers with stone cornices. The rent from letting the house was designed to serve as part of the benefice stipend.

Listing NGR: TQ5229254583