Waterlane House

Waterlane House is a large detached house with a complex history, undergoing significant development in the 17th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Part of the structure dates back to the 17th century, but it was extensively rebuilt and extended in 1845 by Thomas Baker. Further alterations and additions were made between 1907 and 1908 by Ernest Gimson for F.F. McMeekan.

The house is constructed from coursed and random rubble limestone, with ashlar chimneys and a stone slate roof. The south front has a three-window fenestration on the 19th-century portion, featuring timber cross-windows with leaded casements. A central doorway, with a six-panel door and an ironwork porch dated 1845, provides access. Gimson added two full gables to this elevation, incorporating attic casements that align with those below. A 20th-century extension to the right includes a gabled porch with double plank doors, a deep stone lintel, and a three-light stone-mullioned casement above. The west end features a two-storey projection with a hipped roof and a 1845-dated chimney, likely representing a remodelling of the earlier 17th-century structure. An L-plan outbuilding, contemporary with the 17th-century section, includes pigeon-holes in its south gable.

The interior of the 19th-century section exhibits Regency-style doorcases and fireplaces. A staircase possesses stick balusters and a scrolled landing fascia. A particularly noteworthy open-well timber staircase in the hall of the 20th-century addition showcases Cotswold craftsmanship, featuring a chamfered square balustrade framing plank panels, believed to be a work of Gimson. Wide-boarded floors, plank doors (fitted with Bucknell ironmongery), and beamed ceilings are characteristic of Gimson’s interior work. The fireplaces are simple stone constructions with plain mantelshelves and chamfered openings.

The west wing incorporates a notable feature: pigeon holes in the south gable. The rear of the 19th-century section has a gabled addition with a mullioned and transomed ground-floor casement, and casements with timber lintels elsewhere. A rear chimney is inscribed 'MCM 1908'.

Waterlane House is considered an important example of Gimson’s architectural work, largely retaining its Arts and Crafts fittings.