The Old Brewery House

The Old Brewery House is a former brewer’s house dating from approximately 1760. The attached theatre and arts centre are not included in the listing.

The house is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond, with rubbed brick dressings and plain clay tile roofs, and has brick gable-end stacks. The overall plan is broadly rectangular, with the north end slightly angled creating a less regular, double-pile footprint, and the main entrance on the west side. It is a double-pile house of two storeys and three bays. The west-facing principal elevation features a central entrance with a semi-circular headed opening flanked by fluted pilasters. The recessed doorway has panelled reveals and a semi-circular fanlight above a six-panelled door. Shallow canted bay windows are situated on either side of the ground floor. The central first-floor window is six-over-six panes, flanked by tripartite windows of six-over-six panes with two-over-two panes to the margins. The south gable ends are rendered to a height of approximately 1 meter and are otherwise blind except for a small timber casement window at ground-floor level. The rear elevation is partially obscured at ground-floor level by later additions. First-floor windows are six-over-six sashes, with a long stair window of semi-circular shape featuring spider-web glazing.

The ground floor of the western range has been opened into a single space, though remnants of wall stubs and beams indicate a previous layout of two rooms either side of a central hall. The front room retains a short length of moulded cornice above the front door, and further flat-moulded cornice at the north end. It also retains moulded skirtings and door surrounds, chair and picture rails. The bay windows feature panelled reveals. The rear rooms are partly subdivided but retain some cornices and door surrounds. The former kitchen has a very wide arched recess. The original staircase remains in its position, featuring a small open well, an open string with applied brackets and slender stick balusters, turned newel posts and ramped handrails. The first-floor landing has a curving gallery and retains a moulded cornice, much overpainted. A segmental-arched opening on moulded pilasters provides access to the western rooms. All rooms retain moulded and deeply-recessed doorcases and four- or six-panelled doors. Two rooms contain classical fire surrounds with dentil friezes; one has a later 19th-century fireplace with floral tile inserts.