Description

BRENTWOOD

TQ5993 SHENFIELD ROAD
723-1/12/118 (North side)
21/10/58 The Old House
(Formerly Listed as:
SHENFIELD ROAD, Shenfield
(North side)
Old House Brentwood School)

GV II*

2 houses, later joined and part of Brentwood School, now
community centre. C16, c1600, early C18, early C19, late C19.
Red brick, roof peg tiles and slates.
EXTERIOR: 2 storey and attics. S front elevation, 2 distinct
facades (1) to E, 6 bay C18 frontage in red brick with giant
end pilasters, shaped brick cornice and stone capped parapet,
string course between storeys and windows with rubbed brick
voussoirs and brick keystones. Second bay from E breaks
forward slightly in front of early C17 stack with 6 shafts,
diagonally clustered, peg-tiled roof. First-floor window of
articulated bay has shaped brick head and rusticated surround.
Door once below skilfully replaced by a window. All windows
flush framed sashes with glazing bars, most 3x4 panes but E
end bay 4x4. 3 flat-headed dormer windows behind parapet not
in alignment with windows below, C20 renewal 2 casements with
glazing bars, 3x3 panes, one sash 3x3 panes. (2) To W, taller
early C18 frontage of 3 bays with wooden cornice and parapet,
projecting early C19 bow windows through both storeys of
different brick and cutting through earlier work. Also, early
C19 ground-floor central door with simple pilaster surround, 2
upper panels now glazed and 2 lower panels, doorway reveals
similar. Semicircular fanlight and cornice hood. Ground floor
C19 3-cant bay window to W of central door with stuccoed
cornice. Windows, ground floor, 3 in bay plus 2 in bow, all
sashes with stuccoed reveals and with glazing bars, 3x4 panes.
First floor 3 flush framed sashes with glazing bars, 3x4
panes. Single central sash in bow with glazing bars, 4x4
panes. 2 dormer windows in slate mansard roof behind parapet,
both casements with glazing bars, 3x3 panes. Rear, N,
elevation reflects facade (1) E unit timber-framed, broad
gabled stair tower rising to attic in line with early C17
stack, having upper C20 fixed light and first floor C20
2-light casement window with glazing bars, 4x3 panes. Roof of
C20 flat tiles with flat-roofed C20 dormer to W of stair tower
with 2-light casement window with glazing bars, 4x3 panes.
Rear wall rendered but mainly obscured by C20 flat roofed
ground-floor addition with a 2-leaved plain door, one fixed
window and 6 panelled door with 2 top-opening casement lights
above. W face of C20 addition is C19 brick garden wall. (2) W
unit, early C19 2-storey bow window reflecting front with 3
ground floor French windows with stucco sills, glazing bars,
each 2x4 panes and 3 sash windows on first floor, slight
segment heads, rubbed brick voussoirs and stuccoed reveals and
sills, each with glazing bars, 3x4 panes. To W C19 2-window
unit slightly projecting, flat roof behind parapet contiguous
with bowed section, first-floor sash window with segment head,
glazing bars, 3x4 panes, flat headed sash window with glazing
bars, 4x4 panes. Below, on ground floor, C20 recessed glazed
porch and door. W bay, C20 rendered and colourwashed with C20
casement window on ground and first floor. Slate mansard roof
with cruciform stack to E has 3 flat roofed dormer windows
with glazing bars, one 2x2, one 3x2, and one 4x2 panes.
INTERIOR: (1) E unit has a fragment of a medieval rear wall on
ground floor in NE corner with window mullion hole and shutter
rebate. Also fragment of late medieval ceiling joists running
towards adjoining property to E. Stair tower now with modern
stair but apparently deepened (break in framing). Stack, rear
timber wall and cased storey posts, off centre stack with C18
accommodation of facade to adapt to older house, all imply
both a medieval phase and an early C17 3-celled lobby entrance
house as the core of the building. Roof also of early C17,
butt side purlin type and dormers cut through later with crude
cutting away of purlins to give head height. (2) Western unit,
early C19 open string stair with delicate mahogany handrail
and slender main balusters, stylised tread brackets and ground
floor newel, reeded and with Egyptian leaf decoration. Cased
beams behind bow windows at back and front imply their
addition to originally early C18 flat facades. The Old House
and the Hermitage (qv), with Roden House (qv), Mitre House
(qv) and Newnum House (qv) of Brentwood School, together with
the monument to William Hunter (qv) form a group.

Listing NGR: TQ5973293955

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17544935

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)