Brattles Grange

Brattles Grange is a large house of early 16th-century origins, thoroughly renovated and enlarged in 1903 to the designs of architect Albert C. Freeman. The building comprises framed construction on sandstone footings, with a peg-tile roof and brick stacks.

The house faces east and is organised around a 16th-century three-room lobby entrance plan, with the two northern rooms heated by back-to-back fireplaces in an axial stack. In 1903, the former 16th-century hall was converted into a full-height galleried entrance hall with an open well stair to the rear. The hall fireplace was blocked and the former service end to the left (south) was given a fireplace. A two-room crosswing extension in Vernacular Revival style was added at the south end, with various other additions to the rear of the main range.

The exterior presents two storeys and an attic beneath gabled roofs at the ends, with axial stacks to the left and right of centre, the latter positioned to the rear of the ridge. The asymmetrical front elevation has five windows, including one serving the 1903 addition crosswing, which is gabled to the front at the left, and one to the right end lean-to. The framing is close-studded on both the original structure and crosswing, though some 16th-century studs have been renewed, particularly to the right of centre. The first floor is jettied with curved braces. An 1903 gabled porch on posts sits to the left of centre with a contemporary Tudor arched doorway and plank and cover strip front door. An approximately central blocked doorway to the lobby entrance is visible in the framing. The first floor has four and the ground floor five casement windows of 1903 with two and three lights and square leaded panes, with evidence of original windows visible in the framing. The right end lean-to, probably 1903, has a similar two-light casement. Three 1903 gabled attic dormers feature deep eaves, curly bargeboards and finials. The crosswing at the left end is jettied and gabled to the front with deep eaves, cusped bargeboards and a pendant and finial at the apex. It contains a five-light ground floor transomed casement and a similarly glazed five-light transomed first floor oriel on curly brackets, with a two-light attic window. The left (south) return features an attractive 1903 gallery projection of close-studded Vernacular Revival style, gabled to the south with a first floor gallery and open verandah below, the gallery supported on posts. Beyond the gallery, the rear (west) portion of the crosswing is brick to the ground floor and tile-hung to the first floor. The rear elevation of the main range, which includes an outshut with lean-to roof and various additions, is brick and tile-hung.

The interior contains a mixture of early 16th-century and 1903 features. The right end room of the main range preserves 16th-century ceiling beams with a rebuilt fireplace. The entrance hall is almost wholly 1903, with an open wall stair with turned balusters. The front (east) room of the crosswing is lined with linenfold panelling, said to have come from the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Flemish panelling including projecting carved heads. The rear (west) room of the crosswing is panelled in an early 18th-century style. Visible first floor wall framing shows wall posts with flared jowls and tension braces.

The main range preserves an early 16th-century crown post roof with plain posts and three-way bracing.

The 1903 remodelling of this traditional house is of a high quality.