43, West Borough

WEST BOROUGH 1. 5193 (west side) No 43 (formerly listed as No 20) SU 0000 SE 2/148 14.6.52 II* GV 2. C18, and probably of earlier origin. Brick walls, brick dentil cornice at eaves, platband at first floor level. Tiled roof, brick copings to gables. Brick stacks. Walling above the first floor window heads projects slightly. Two storeys and attics. Single storey section to south - now a garage. Central entrance has 6 panel door with flat hood on console brackets. Ground floor has 2 double hung sash windows with vertical glazing bars only. First floor has 3 similar windows. Attic has 2 dormers with hipped roof, and casements with lead lights. Single storey section has brick walls and tiled roof. Timber garage doors. Internally, the northern front ground floor room has a raised panel dado, and a C18 fireplace surround. Semi-circular recesses each side of this have arched heads, and shaped shelves. The south room - the original kitchen, has large fireplace, partly infilled to take a C19 interior. The moulded surround appears C18 but behind it is an earlier opening with chamfered timber lintol. Late C18 closed string stair with moulded balusters and handrail. At the rear, the northern rooms on ground and first floors are at a lower, mezzanine, level. The rear roof slope continues over these rooms as a catslide. On the first floor, the 2 front rooms have some C18 panelling. In the attics the northern room has had a section at the rear partitioned off, the area behind this partition extending down to the (lower) first floor level forming a "secret" room. The use of this is not known, but there is a small trap door in the party wall between it and the roof space of No 45 - qv. Since No 45 once apparently belonged to Gulliver, a noted Dorset smuggler, this may explain this feature. Single storey outbuilding at rear of house, with brick walls and tiled roof. This appears contemporary with the house and contains a fireplace, possibly a former bakehouse or brewhouse. RCHM Monument 72.

Listing NGR: SU0088400289