Heroncourt

Heroncourt

This building comprises three distinct phases of development. The central core is a mid-17th century farmhouse, originally timber-framed with two storeys and two bays, featuring an end chimneystack. This was re-fronted on the south side in 18th century red brick and rendered on the north side. To the west is an attached 18th century former malthouse or granary, which was later modified to contain a mid-19th century staircase and parlour (subsequently a kitchen), with a bedroom above. To the east is a higher residential wing dated 1896 in the gable, constructed in red brick.

Materials and Construction

The central part is timber-framed, re-fronted in 18th century red brick on the south side and rendered on the north. The former malthouse is of coursed chalkstone blocks with red brick dressings over an ironstone base. The 1896 eastern wing is red brick in Flemish bond on the south side, with the remainder cement rendered. The roof is tiled throughout except for the east wing, which is pantiled. The building has two brick chimneystacks.

Exterior

The central south elevation is two storeys in red brick Flemish bond with four full-height pilasters. There are two square windows to each floor with later 20th century casements. The projecting central door surround has a cambered arch with ovolo-moulded cornice. The wide six-panelled door retains an early 19th century circular cast iron knocker with rosettes and Greek Key design, and wide L-hinges internally.

The taller eastern wing, also in Flemish bond, is higher than the central section with a prominent gable. A stringcourse separates the floors. Each floor has one sash window with vertical glazing bars and horns, with stone lintels and a drip-mould to the upper window.

The western bay comprises the former malthouse L-wing in coursed chalkstone blocks with an ironstone base and red brick end quoins, with the roof hipped to the south. The eastern return has a circular iron tie, two square windows, and a doorcase with a half-glazed door. A large late 19th century square bay was inserted on the ground floor at the south end, with an early 20th century hipped dormer interrupting the eaves. The west side has square window openings with 20th century windows including a wide ground floor opening and a circular iron tie. The taller residential north end is separately roofed with one wide stone opening on the ground floor.

The north side, rendered in the late 19th century, displays three sash windows with vertical glazing bars and horns, a half-glazed door, and steps leading down to a cellar. The ground floor of the eastern bay has a deep casement window with marginal glazing. The east side has a projecting full-height chimneystack with no windows.

Interior

The south entrance leads directly into the reception hall, which was originally the hearth room of the 17th century house. The large open fireplace has been blocked by a smaller early to mid-19th century fireplace, but the original brick-lined, beehive-shaped bread oven survives and remains visible, although its original opening was later blocked and turned 180 degrees into the adjoining room. The ceiling has un-chamfered beams with some carpenters' marks, and mortises on the south side reveal where the ground floor timber-framed front wall was removed during the brick re-fronting. Replaced smaller joists in the south-east corner indicate the location of the original staircase.

The adjoining room to the south-east, formerly a parlour and later a study, has a spine beam with a one and a half inch chamfer and step stops, with smaller similar stops to the floor joists. It contains a diagonally placed mid-19th century marble fireplace and wooden dado panelling.

The western room adjoining the hall, located in the northern end of the malthouse range, has a door with coloured marginal glazing, a spine beam without chamfers supported on a projecting wooden knee, and an early to mid-19th century fireplace.

The adjoining early or mid-19th century staircase, positioned in the central bay of the malthouse, features stick balusters and a column newel post. Full-height panelling similar to that in the study lines this space.

The adjoining room to the south, now a dining room, has a late 19th century fireplace with brackets, pilasters and strapwork decoration, and a round-headed display cupboard.

The shower room in the late 19th century north extension, built on to the reception hall and possibly replacing an earlier outshot, contains the cambered opening into the bread oven. Adjacent to this is a late 19th century staircase with slender turned balusters and newel posts with ball finials.

The sitting room on the ground floor of the 1896 eastern wing features an Arts and Crafts-style wooden fireplace with a Gibbs surround, elliptical arches, plate-shelf and end pilasters. It has a deep moulded cornice of rosettes.

Upstairs, the eastern bedroom in the 1896 wing is situated at a higher level than the other first floor rooms. It has an identical cornice to the sitting room below and a mid-19th century marble fireplace with pilasters and anthemion decoration.

The adjoining bedroom to the west retains a projecting wooden knee, originally supporting a timber beam, a diagonally placed chimney breast, and a three-panelled door.

The adjoining bedroom has mid-19th century two-panelled cupboards on either side of the large chimneybreast.

The western bedroom has a similar two-panelled cupboard at the northern end of the large chimneybreast.

The bedroom at the south end of the west wing has a reused tie beam assembled in the 18th century with horizontal mortises on the south side and angled queen struts.