Brands House

Brands House is an office building, dating from the mid- to late 18th century with a substantial addition around 1820-30 and later 19th-century extensions to the rear. The original 18th-century west wing is constructed with brick and rendered, featuring a wooden dentil eaves cornice and an old tile roof. It is two storeys and an attic in height, with three bays and four-pane boxed sash windows. The central bay has an attic lunette in a small gable, and a double door that is half-glazed and shuttered. A later wooden porch has a moulded cornice hood supported by slender Tuscan columns. The grand south front, built around 1820-30, is rendered and colourwashed, with a hipped slate roof and rendered chimneys. It is two storeys high with five bays; the three central bays are slightly advanced and crowned by a single pediment. The windows are three-pane sashes with narrow architrave surrounds, louvred shutters, and moulded stone sills on brackets. Steps lead to central double glazed doors with a large rectangular fanlight, and a pedimented porch with two Ionic columns and Doric antae. The original 18th-century wing’s gable end is set back to the left; a 20th-century loggia with a Tuscan portico is located to the right. Rear extensions are also rendered and colourwashed, and are two or three storeys high with irregular sash windows and rendered panels. The older wing contains a central staircase with turned balusters and a moulded handrail. A fine early 19th-century staircase has twisted balusters and a curving handrail; the staircase hall features a two-bay arcade. There is plaster panelling throughout, and one 18th-century room retains some wood panelling.