Flats 1 and 4, Bretaneby, with part of flat 5, Seal, Kent

Summary

Bretaneby, High Street, Seal, a house with C17 origins, substantially rebuilt in the C18 and with later modifications, together with part of an attached wall. The late-C19 southern part of the south-west wing, the about 1900 eastern extension, and the western section of the attached wall, are excluded from the listing. Also excluded from the listing are the boundary wall extending from the north-west corner of the north range, and the small late-C20 extension enclosed by that wall and the north-west corner of the range.

Description

House, with a C17 core, probably originally timber-framed but largely rebuilt in brick and extended in the C18, with further additions and alterations of the late C19 and early C20. The listed parts of the building are occupied by flats 1 and 4, with a single room belonging to flat 5 being included. The late-C19 part of the south-west wing (occupied by flats 2 and 3), and the early-C20 addition (occupied by flat 5) at the east end of the northern range, are excluded from the listing. Also excluded from the listing are the boundary wall extending from the north-west corner of the north range, and the small late-C20 extension enclosed by that wall and the north-west corner of the range (part of flat 1).

MATERIALS: red brick laid in Flemish bond on a stone plinth, with plain-tiled hipped roofs, and brick stacks. The windows in the C18 part of the house have six-over-six timber sash frames; those to the ground floor may be C18, with horned replacements to the first floor. The south-west wing (the majority of which is excluded from the listing) is also of brick, with pebbledash to the first floor, and timber sash window frames.

PLAN: the building is now roughly L-shaped in plan, consisting of a rectangular range to the north, running along the south side of Seal High Street; this is thought to date from the C17 originally, being largely rebuilt externally in the C18, with a canted bay to the west. Against the north-western face of the canted bay is a small single-storey extension, filling the corner of the boundary wall; both of these elements are excluded from the listing. There is a shorter parallel C18 range to the south. A wing extends southwards from the western end of the northern ranges; this was present by 1841, and was remodelled and extended in the late C19; the northern section is thought to retain some C18 fabric, but the southern section appears to have been entirely or largely rebuilt, and is excluded from the listing. The very late-C19/early-C20 addition to the east of the house is also excluded from the listing.

EXTERIOR: the north-facing elevation, representing the original part of the building, is five bays wide and two storeys high. The C18 frontage originally had a doorway to the second bay to the west. The elevation has tall window openings to each storey, with flat arches of gauged brickwork, the openings having flat arches, with replacement cills to the first floor. The first-floor windows to the westernmost bay, and the second bay to the west, have been blocked with brick, probably at some time in the early C20. The door opening in the second bay to the west has also been blocked, resulting in a section of the stone plinth having been filled with brick. A brick plat band runs between the storeys, rising to the west to allow for the drop in ground level. Historic mapping indicates a former porch or single-storey entrance block at the eastern end of the elevation, possibly of later date, in line with the frontage; this is confirmed by evidence of disturbance in the brickwork at ground-floor level, caused by its replacement by the very late-C19/early-C20 single-storey infill block (now flat 5 and excluded from the listing). Above this, two brick stacks rise against the tile-hung east elevation of the C18 house. On the west elevation, the C18 range is terminated by a canted bay, with large window openings to the first floor, having scalloped timber pelmet boxes originally for external blinds. The central ground-floor window opening shows signs of some alteration. The north-western face is obscured at ground-floor level by the small extension, which is excluded from the listing. The south-western face is partially obscured by a later timber-framed porch, protecting the doorway (now the entrance to flat 1), with panelled double doors. The south-west wing extends from the south end of the canted bay; a set-back section between the two is now fronted by the porch.

The hipped C18 range running parallel to the south of the original range stands in the angle between this and the south-west wing. This range is three bays wide, with an entrance to the west (now the entrance to flat 4) fronted by a C19 timber porch with a tiled roof. The two eastern ground-floor bays are now occupied by a late-C19/early-C20 bay window under a lean-to roof. On the first floor, the western window has been enlarged, probably in the late C19, and is now of tripartite form; the eastern windows retain their original form, with replacement horned sash frames and replacement cills. The eastern elevation is largely obscured by the excluded eastern addition.

The south-west wing, added to and remodelled in the late C19, appears to retain an earlier – probably essentially C18 – section to the north, with more extensive remodelling to the south, the whole being unified by an external treatment with brick to the ground floor, with a brick platband and quoins, and pebbledash above. This treatment is also applied to the set-back section behind the porch. The ground-floor windows have cambered-arched openings; the first-floor windows openings, on narrow moulded cills, have flat arches. The roof has wide eaves supported on timber brackets. Only the northern section, stretching as far as and including the chimney stack, is included in the listing, and is of lesser interest externally. On the western elevation, the northern section has two irregularly-placed windows to the ground floor, and a pair of large windows to the first floor with pelmet boxes. On the east elevation, only the northernmost bay, with a single window at ground- and first-floor level, is included in the listing.

INTERIOR: the ground floor areas of both the original, northern, range of the building, and the C18 range to the south, are now mainly occupied by flat 1, which also extends into the northern section of the south-west wing. The eastern bay of the north range is now occupied at ground-floor level by flat 5; apart from this room, flat 5 is excluded from the listing. The western part of the southern range is occupied by the entrance and stair to flat 4. Both the northern and the southern range, together with the northern section of the south-west range, are occupied at first-floor level by flat 4.

The eastern part of the C17 range contains a room with a substantial original ceiling, thought originally to have been a floored hall (now within flat 1), with the former parlour at the eastern end (now within flat 5). The hall ceiling consists of a central spine beam and transverse beam, now replaced by or encased in later timber, with ovolo-moulded transverse beams defining the room to west and east. Transverse joists are chamfered with step stops, the stops to either side of the spine beam being partially obscured by the later casing. This room retains C18 window shutters. The ceiling of the parlour to the east (within flat 5), thought originally to have been a parlour beyond the hall, is of similar form, though without the central spine beam; the eastern side of the ovolo-moulded beam is visible along the top of the western wall, but the other beams are encased. This room has a fireplace to the east, with what appears to be an Edwardian tiled surround. The north-western section of the northern range (now within flat 1) has seen considerable rearrangement. The passage which originally led southwards from the northern doorway has been partioned, following the blocking of the doorway, with the northern section being taken into the western room. This room has a fireplace to the west, with a C19 fire-surround, lacking its shelf. To the south, beside the passage, is a C19 cupboard with glazed doors fronting an alcove with shelving for china; a cupboard to the rear with a sloping ceiling suggests this was once the position of a stair, rising from the north. At the west end of the house, the additional canted bay lights a small room without other notable historic features; the northern window opening has been enlarged to create a doorway giving access to the small excluded extension. Within the C18 range to the south, a doorway to the west gives access to the cellar, which extends under the C18 range, with a passage to a section below the western part of the northern C17 range. The external walling of the cellars is mostly of stone, with brick vaulting and storage bins; there is a blocked casement window in the southern wall, towards the western end, suggesting the former presence of an external basement area in this position. The eastern part of the southern C18 range is now occupied at ground-floor level by a large room lit by the late-C19/early-C20 bay window; this has early-C20 features including a chimneypiece and plate rail, whilst the cornice is probably earlier. The south-west portion of Flat 1 is within the later south-west range, comprising a kitchen, bathroom and utility room; this part of the building does not retain notable historic features and is of lesser interest.

The western part of the southern C18 range is now occupied at ground-floor level by the entrance hall and stairwell serving flat 4, whch occupies the whole of the first floor. The open-well stair, which rises against the south and west walls to a landing running across the north part of the range, appears to be late-Victorian or Edwardian, with decorative brackets to the open strings, elaborate chunky newel posts and narrow turned balusters. It is thought that the stair, which is lit by the enlarged eastern first-floor window, is the result of reconfiguration, possibly replacing the stair in the northern part of the house. A passage runs the length of the north side of the C18 range, running eastwards from the landing, and continuing into the south-west wing, the transition at this point being marked by a beaded elliptical arch. At the eastern end of the northern range, the easternmost bay is occupied by a room set at a slightly lower level, accessed by a small lobby cut out of the next room to the west, which occupies the next two bays. Neither room retains notable historic features. The western part of this northern range is occupied by the drawing room, now lit only by the bay window, the northern windows having been blocked. This room retains moulded cornice and skirting, possibly late-C18, as well as window surrounds and panelled shutters, the shutters no longer functional. The painted neoclassical chimneypiece in late-C18 style may be a later addition; if original, the shelf appears to be later. The chimneypiece has a later marble insert and gas fire set within earlier marble slips. The eastern end of the southern range has undergone considerable reconfiguration at first-floor level, and retains few historic features. The south-west portion of flat 4 is within the northern section of the south-west range; this area has been subdivided, but what appears to be a late-C18 cornice remains in places, together with a later panelled frame linking the two western windows. There are large cupboards with panelled doors, one in the possible position of the former stair to the north, and one above the internal porch to the west. The roof over the northern range was not accessible; the roof over the southern range appears largely to retain its C18 form, with ridge-piece, collars and purlins, though it has undergone alteration and much replacement of timbers.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: to the west of the house is a tall wall, running northwards from the north-west corner of the building to the boundary of the property, and then continuing at a right angle parallel with the High Street, before turning at a south-westerly angle to enclose the entrance to the drive. The portion of the wall to the east of the drive is thought to be contemporary with the C18 rebuilding work to the house, and to have continued westwards to enclose the large gardens of the house; this part of the wall is included in the listing. The south/north stretch of the wall is built of brick, laid in loose Flemish bond, on a stone plinth. The brick continues to form quoins at the corner, and the top part of the eastern section of the east/west stretch, which is ramped, with capping bricks. The main body of the wall is of rubblestone, and rubblestone is the material used for the remainder of the wall, up to the fragmentary brick pier terminating the listed stretch running parallel with the road. The south-westerly stretch appears to be a development of post 1939, and is excluded from the listing.

History

The house now known as Bretaneby is thought to have originated in the C17 as a substantial timber-framed house. Later developments have obscured the original plan-form to some extent, but the house appears to have had a floored hall to the east, with a parlour beyond, and a cross-passage to the west of the hall, possibly with a further passage running to the south. The hall may have been heated by a stack to the west, within the space of the passage. Though the two eastern rooms retain their ceilings, little evidence remains of this phase of the building in the western part of the range, other than the cellar beneath this section. The external walls were rebuilt in brick in the C18, retaining the stone plinth, giving the building its present appearance, with a canted bay window to the western end. An additional range was constructed to the south, also in the C18, possibly replacing an earlier range. A further range was built extending southwards from the western end at some time before the Tithe map of 1841 was drawn up; this was extensively remodelled and extended at some time between 1897 and 1896, with further alterations of the early C20. An addition was built filling the gap between the east end of the house and the building standing immediately to the east at some time between 1896 and 1909; this was rebuilt or remodelled during the interwar period. A section of boundary wall attached to the north-west corner of the house is a reminder of the substantial grounds which formerly lay to the west of the house, now occupied by later houses and gardens.

Known from the C18 as The Elms, the house was owned in the later C19 by Charles Mills, Lord Hillingdon, of Wildernesse House, which stands at some distance to the south, and is understood possibly to have been occupied by the estate manager; a drive appears to have been constructed connecting The Elms with Wildernesse House, and with the new stable block serving the larger house, immediately to the south of The Elms. The name of the house was changed to Bretaneby at some time between 1924 and 1939. During the Second World War, Bretaneby was used as a school for evacuees. Hot meals were cooked in a disused shed at the side of the house, which were later also supplied to village children. In 1945, the house was requisitioned to provide accommodation for homeless families; possibly the conversion of the house dates to this period – though alterations appear to have taken place in 1957 – and by 1975 the present arrangement, with five separate dwellings, was in place.

Reasons for Listing

Flats 1 and 4 Bretaneby, with part of flat 5, High Street, Seal, a house with C17 origins, substantially rebuilt in the C18 and with later modifications, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a house of some status originating in the C17 and retaining significant fabric of that date, notably a good-quality framed ceiling to the original hall and parlour;
* the C18 brick re-building is also of interest, the street frontage retaining its C18 character with sash windows, plat band and a canted end, despite the blocking of some openings;
* the building retains historic features internally, including the C17 and C18 cellars, C18 window shutters, and other C18 features including window shutters, cornice and skirting.

Group value:

* with the numerous listed buildings on the High Street in Seal, including the pair of C16 cottages immediately to the east, which were probably also refronted in brick in the C18, the narrow C18 house to the east of that, and also the former C15 hall house, later re-fronted and converted to a public house, with its C18 stables. Immediately to the south is the late-C19 quadrangular former stable block to the C18 Wildernesse House standing further south, both also listed at Grade II.

External Links

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