Cross House And Attached Wall, Gate And Railings

Cross House is a house dating from about 1700, with significant remodelling undertaken in the 19th century between 1822 and 1855 by Allen, who was Headmaster of the Grammar School. The house is constructed of rough Ham Hill or Moolham stone ashlar to the south, limestone rubble to the west, and has a slate roof with brick stacks. It has a roughly L-shaped plan.

The south front is two storeys and originally comprised a three-window range, but the left-hand bay is now part of a separate dwelling with a rear entrance. The windows retain bolection-moulded surrounds and joints to the tops and sides, indicating the positions of former mullions and transoms. The three first-floor windows on the left have 6/6-pane sashes, while the ground floor windows have 1/1-pane sashes, likely dating back to the late 19th century. The west-facing facade is three storeys with a three-window range, stepping down to the two-storey south front on the right. The second floor has no windows; the first floor has 6/6-pane sashes, and a single horizontal 5/5-pane fixed window high up to the left of the front door, all set within raised surrounds. The front door, dating from about 1900, features three vertical panels at the top, one horizontal panel in the centre, and two almost-square panels with rounded corners and reeded borders at the base. A large, Ham Hill stone ashlar porch in a Tuscan style, spanning the pavement, has been added.

The interior of the building has not been inspected. A low wall constructed of limestone rubble with Ham Hill stone coping, along with a gate and railings featuring flat, acorn-shaped tops (similar to those at The Chantry), is attached to the south-west corner, and is now largely obscured by a hedge. Historically, the property was conveyed to the Trustees of the Grammar School at the Reformation and was used as a residence for the school's headmaster.