Barbican House

TQ 4110 SW LEWES HIGH STREET 9/237 (north side)

25.2.52 No 169 (Barbican House)

GV II*

House, now museum. Late C16 with later C17 and early C18 alterations, refronted in mid C18. Red brick with cement plinth, red brick dressings, plat bands and moulded cornice and parapet to plain tiled hipped roof. Tall end stacks, on parapet at left end. 3 storeys and basement; regular 5 window front, sashes without glazing bars, those on second floor shorter than those below. Central entrance with round arch on antae and taller outer Doric columns supporting entablature hood. Panelled door with Gothick-glazed fanlight. Two segment-headed windows breaking into plinth above basements. Left return front, facing Castle Gate, canted in centre with 3 - 2 windows, those in extreme right-hand bay blind. Tripartite sash breaking through parapet in former hoist housing to right. Interior: Roofs; Dragon post for gable jetty in library on second floor. Most roofs rebuilt in Cl7 or early C18. Ground-floor room with moulded fireplace with Tudor-arched head and inscribed IMH 1579,(John and Mary Holmwood). Iron-age room; Fireplace late C17, with tapering pilasters, acanthus volute brackets and floral decorated frieze. Oak room; Late C16 panelling, some carved. Tudor-arched stone fireplace with moulded soffit and spandrels. First-floor rooms with further C16 or early C17 panelling, the room to the front with fielded panelling of c. 1710. Early C18 stair with open ramped rail and turned column-on-vase balusters with square knops. L-shape with short lowest flight. Panelled dado. Underside of flight above plastered as is ceiling of first-floor landing. Upper part of stairs late Cl7 with wide open spiral balusters.

Listing NGR: TQ4140310050