Rayners House

Rayners House

A country house dating from about 1847, possibly designed by Edward Buckton Lamb, with additions built in the 1850s and from 1867 to 1868 by David Brandon, and further additions from the 1960s.

The house is constructed in red brick with diaper patterning in blue and black headers, stone and tile dressings, and a plain tiled roof. The plan consists of a two and three-storey range extending north-south, with a service wing added at the northern end and an archway with clock tower to the east connecting to further service buildings. A mid-20th century addition including classrooms and gymnasium is connected to the west.

The exterior displays a Tudor style blended eclectically with French Renaissance detailing. The walls feature diaper patterns of blue and black headers. Window and door openings have moulded brick surrounds with stone sills and square stones to the corners with sunken central panels. Windows are a combination of sashes and casements, as shown in old photographs. Many windows have uPVC replacement fenestration but echo the original form with timber mullion and transom effect at first floor.

The entrance front, facing north-east, has a projecting single-storey flat-roofed porch with decorative iron cresting near the centre. To either side are two projecting wings with gables and decorative pierced barge boards; the bay to the left-hand wing has a steeper pavilion roof. The gable to the right of the porch has a bellcote to the ridge with a pyramidal roof and weather vane. A sunken basement area extends across the right of the front, protected by a decorative pierced stone balustrade. Dormer windows are gabled except at left where the hipped roof has an arched head to a French-style dormer with ball finial. Joined to the left is a single-storey conservatory, added around 1868. At right and projecting from the front is the clock tower range of three bays to its south face with a projecting pavilion-roofed tower at the centre, which has a wide round arch at ground level. Above this are two storeys, each with a central window. At the top is a projecting panelled section with a gabled clock face to the centre. The hipped roof rises to a square platform with decorative iron cresting. Moulded chimney stacks extend to full height.

The garden front has five bays to the centre, flanked by projecting gabled wings. The three central first-floor windows have gabled heads with decorative bargeboards. An area in front of the house features a decoratively pierced stone balustrade, with a single-storey garden porch at left of centre. A metal fire escape descends from the first floor. At right the wing has a hipped roof with an arched head and ball finial to the dormer, as seen on the entrance front. At far right is the single-storey conservatory with a canted bay window. A French-style circular dormer window is near the centre. Projecting at the far left is a service wing which formerly terminated in a single-storey pavilion but has been raised to two storeys. Extending to the west is an L-shaped 20th-century school classroom wing of two storeys with a flat roof and near-continuous glazed upper walling to the centre of its south face.

The south front has the conservatory at ground-floor level, featuring six full-height windows divided by pilasters with decorative tiled inserts to the central panels. A wheelchair ramp has been added to the centre. The first floor has three symmetrical bays with prominent shouldered and moulded chimney stacks to either side of the centre, and a dormer with arched head and ball finial.

The north front has the clock tower range at left, which is similar to the south front. To the right and attached to the house is a later 20th-century extension connecting it to the stable block. At right again is the rear of the 20th-century classroom extension. To the left of the arch is a single-storey range of 19th-century outhouses.

Interior

The front door leads to a late 19th-century lobby with tiled floor. The original entrance doorway opens onto an entrance hall with elaborate diaper patterned parquet flooring, which also appears in several other ground-floor rooms. A tripartite arrangement of four-centred arches leads to a matching lobby on the garden side. The panelled ceiling has cusped Gothic mouldings to the centre. The staircase hall also has a panelled ceiling, and the staircase features moulded tread ends and turned balusters with a wreathed curtail and mahogany newels and handrail. The fire surround is of coloured marble. Several fire surrounds elsewhere have been removed. Original ceilings, where evident, are panelled with cusped Gothic mouldings. Several are hidden by later suspended ceilings of 20th-century date. Joinery to doors, windows and shutters is largely original, and there are wide connecting arches allowing ground-floor rooms to be opened out. A plate safe with metal door is in the former butler's pantry, and a similar safe door is set in a bookcase in the study, opening onto stairs which lead down to a basement strong room for storing legal papers, containing a cast iron cupboard on the wall and iron shutters to its area window. An extensive range of cellar rooms includes wine and meat stores and hatches for chimney sweeping. The panelled and glazed ceiling over the staircase hall features moulded joists supported by brackets in the form of angels holding shields.

The 1960s additions to the east, built for Penn School and including classrooms, dining room and gymnasium, are not included in the listing.