Description

TQ 64 NW CAPEL TUDELEY LANE (off), SOMERHILL
PARK
1/303 Dairy about 10m north of
Park Farmhouse

GV II

Dairy on the home farm of Somerhill, now part of the Hadlow Estate. Probably
circa 1850, architect unknown to date. Framed construction on brick footings;
tiled roof with bands of scalloped tiles and fleur de lis crested ridge tiles;
brick stack. The design makes free use of elements drawn from traditional
buildings of the C17.

Plan: The dairy is part of a designed Victorian farmstead with other
buildings in a matching style. The layout of the group is picturesquely
irregular and organized to look attractive as well as being functional. The
dairy, which is the first building in the group on the approach to the farm is
also the most elaborately treated. It is sited north of and below the
farmhouse (q.v.). T-plan, the 2 room plan main block roofed on an east west
axis, at right angles to the farm lane, with an axial stack. A third room is
in a crosswing at the west end with a large west end porch facing the lane.
This was probably the entrance used by visitors from Somerhill. There is a
plainer entrance on the south side, into the main block, opposite the rear
door of the farmhouse.

Exterior: Extremely pretty and very intact. Gabled roofs with deep eaves and
fancy cusped moulded bargeboards; axial stack with vertical rib decoration to
the shaft, louvred ventilation shaft east of the stack with a tiled roof and
finial. Framing with diagonal braces, the plaster of the infil panels raised.
Symmetrical west elevation, dominated by a showy gabled porch in the centre.
The outer doorway is flanked by arched open panels in the framing with
trefoil-pierced spandrels, the framing of the side walls of the porch is
divided into 3 tiers with cross-braced panels above the footings, the next
tier of timber panels pierced with pointed quatrefoils, the tier below the
eaves with a row of open shouldered arches. Original front door in a moulded
frame, original floor tiling. The south side of the dairy has the gable end
of the crosswing to the left, the main block to the right. The crosswing has
a large 3-light casement window with cast iron casements with high transoms
and diagonal iron glazing bars with decorated stamped bosses at the
intersections. Original door into the main block alongside the crosswing,
which is otherwise blind on the south side with tall cross-braced panels in
the framing. The north elevation has a pair of 2-light cast iron transomed
windows, matching those described above. The gable end of the crosswing has a
projecting bay with a hipped roof and 3 similar 2-light transomed windows plus
one-light windows to the returns. The rear (east) elevation is brick, the
gable has fancy bargeboards but the 4-light window is plainer than the others
with square leaded panes and original window furniture.

Interior: Very complete including original tiling, canted roofs and marble
shelves.

A remarkably attractive and well-preserved building.

Listing NGR: TQ6157845026

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26545805

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

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)