The Court House

The Court House

House, originally built around 1550 for Sir Henry Compton. The building has been substantially altered and remodelled over its history. The parlour chimney may have been added in 1614. In 1695-7 it was remodelled for John Prinn, when the central hall was rebuilt in brick, the roof heightened, the old parlour panelled, and a south staircase inserted. Further modernisation took place in 1797-8 when it was intended as a dower house for Charlton House. Around 1890 it was remodelled again, when a porch was added, the windows on the west end were replaced, and a bay window was inserted to the east.

The exterior consists of brick with timber-frame to the wings, finished with pebble-dash, and plain tile roofs with half-hipped forms to the rear of the wings. The building is arranged with a centre section and slightly lower wings, rising to two and a half storeys with a 1:3:1 first-floor-window range. At ground floor level, between the wings sits a lean-to and gabled porch with a part-glazed door. The centre part has early 20th-century 6/2 flush sash windows in wide surrounds. The wings have rectangular bay windows at ground floor and wooden oriels on the first floor. The right gable has a garret light and there is an attic dormer to the centre part at the rear. A wide eaves cornice with acanthus modillions decorates the centre section. The right side has a gable chimney, the left-hand (north-west) wing has two large extended chimneys on its return, and an extruded chimney with bread oven projection on the right-hand return. The north-west wing features a large stair window with central mullion and square leaded lights containing old glass.

The interior of the centre block includes a hall fireplace with egg-and-dart decoration, a doorway with bolection-moulded architrave on the first floor, and a late 16th or early 17th-century panelled door with three large strap hinges. Two roof trusses and a pair of purlins are visible. The parlour wing in the north-west contains a bolection-moulded fireplace surround and boxed ceiling beam. Bolection-moulded panelling and cornices appear in both rooms and the staircase hall. A door with half an H-hinge is present. The dog-leg staircase features a moulded string and handrail with turned tapered rod-on-vase balusters with square knops. The first floor has two doors with bolection-moulded architraves. Exposed timber-framing with large square panels is visible, along with two exposed purlins and a pair of curved windbraces. A jointed cruck-truss spans the large chamber. The service wing contains a cellar with a brick barrel vault. Its dog-leg stair has a moulded handrail and barley-twist-on-vase balusters, continuing to the attic with a row of probably early 17th-century turned balusters and grip handrail. At the foot of the attic stair stands a large jowled post with plain beam. The roof truss has a steeply cambered and tenoned collar, one pair of trenched purlins, and a row of curved windbraces with a diamond ridge at the apex.

The building is thought to have originally been a medieval hall with cross-wings, one serving as a service wing and the other as a parlour or solar wing. The parlour wing's first floor contains an open arch-braced roof of two bays with a small ante-chamber. An open hall with screens passage probably originally stood on the site of the present stack. The kitchen chimney stack is likely an original feature. Charles Holt obtained the house in 1613 with permission to alter it, and early balusters may relate to a stair he inserted at that time. These alterations could include the flooring of the open hall. In 1695-7 the north-east wall was built outside the original timber wall, the wing roofs were rebuilt in half-hipped form to create a grand garden facade, the service-wing staircase was added, and the parlour-wing rooms were panelled. The staircase in the parlour wing dates from the first half of the 18th century and was probably reused from elsewhere, possibly added around 1790 when the hall doorway, fireplace, and passage block were installed. The original roof is believed to have been thatch. The building was known as New Court by 1620. Gate piers that originally belonged to the house are now located in the garden to the rear of No.16 Newcourt Park.