The Grange

The Grange

The Grange is a medium-sized country house of irregular U-plan, graded II. The two-and-a-half storey primary section to the rear is rendered rubble; the 19th-century front range is faced with fine red and brown sandstone ashlar. The roofs are slate with plain chimneys; those to the front are projecting end chimneys, partly reduced and fitted with modern brick capping.

The main elevation is two storeys and three bays, symmetrically arranged. It has a chamfered plinth and a moulded stringcourse between floors. The central bay is advanced and gabled, functioning as a storeyed porch with a wide Tudor-arched, chamfered opening to the front. The gable is coped and kneelered, with chamfered corners to the bay. A modern part-glazed door leads to a Tudor-arched inner entrance, flanked by simple arched sashes. Paired Tudor-arched windows light the first floor; similar 3-light windows to the ground floor have long lights extending down to low plinth level. All windows retain original unhorned 8-pane sashes with simple Y-tracery heads.

The Tudorbethan front range continues in an L-plan to the right (north) as a service wing, the two arms of the 19th-century addition thereby enclosing the primary house to the north and east. This north wing has tripartite windows with 4-pane sash sections flanked by 2-pane sashes; the first-floor version has a cambered head. Further 2 and 4-light camber-headed sashes light the right side and upper floors of the rear gable end. The range continues westwards as a single-storey wash-house with a lateral brick chimney, cambered sashes and boarded entrances.

The primary section is L-shaped and visible to the rear (west) and south. The south elevation has 20th-century French windows with an early 19th-century 16-pane unhorned sash to the right. Above this is a 30-pane horned sash, and on the attic floor sits a small 12-pane window contained within a gabled dormer. To the left of the French windows are 20th-century 2 and 6-pane lights. The rear has a central gabled section recessed between the north wing and the hipped south wing. It features an 8-panel part-glazed door to the left and a large 8-pane stair light to the right with a Y-tracery head. The south gable end has a 30-pane sash to the first floor.

Adjoining the ground floor is a short link block leading to a rectangular billiard room addition of roughcast brick construction with applied faux timber-framing. The billiard room is a gabled rectangular block with slate roof and simple end chimneys, with lower hipped-roofed projections at both ends. Four-bay sides have sashes (3 panes above one) and a large skylight to the roof. The link block has double doors to the north, part-glazed with bull's-eyes and flanking leaded sections.

Interior

The entrance hall has a moulded Tudor-arched opening to the rear hall and entrances to dining and drawing rooms off to right and left, with moulded architraves and 4-panel doors. The principal ground floor rooms have vertical oak dado panelling with alternately ovolo-moulded and chamfered stiles. Early 20th-century 'Jacobean' applied ceiling decoration adorns the main rooms, featuring conjoined octagons and strapwork. The rear hall contains early 20th-century oak ceiling beams and three fine 9-panel mahogany doors. A simple Arts and Crafts fireplace of polished steel and brass is accompanied by parquet flooring.

Leading from the rear hall is a late 17th-century oak dogleg stair with turned balusters, moulded rail and square newels; it retains original treads and risers with early 20th-century panelled sides. Beneath the return flight is a niche with a late 19th-century panelled mahogany double seat, a re-used ship's fitting. An early 20th-century WC retains all original fittings and tiling.

The billiard room features re-used dado panelling and a niche, stepped up at one end, with a segmental entrance arch. A large first-floor skylight incorporates a fine 3-part 1890s stained glass window, also re-used, depicting scenes from Shakespeare's 'As You Like It'.