Former Stables at Wadhurst College, Wadhurst, East Sussex

Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 3 January 2024 to amend the name and address

995/0/10133

WADHURST
BRUCE MANOR CLOSE
Former Stables at Wadhurst College

(Formerly listed as MAYFIELD LANE (South of) Stables at Wadhurst College, formerly South Park)

07-OCT-09

GV
II

Stables to a country house, later in educational use. Built in 1885 by Adolphus Croft for John Bruce. Domestic Revival style.

MATERIALS: Ground floor red brick in Flemish bond with some rubbed brick voussoirs and the first floor tile-hung but the east sides have gables with timber framing. The gabled tiled roofs have terracotta ridge tiles with moulded end finials and tall ribbed brick chimneystacks.

PLAN: Arranged around three sides of a rectangular courtyard, which was originally closed off by wooden gates on the fourth side. The south range had coach houses on the ground floor with living accommodation to the sides and above, the west link block was probably residential and the north range stabling with some accommodation.

EXTERIOR: The north range roof has an ornamental square clock turret with pyramidal lead roof with metal weathervane. The eastern gable end facing the main house has carved bargeboards, copper bell and a first floor projecting square bay with timber framing and pebbledash infill and ornamental glass to the transomes. The ground floor has a high placed triple window and a large blank rubbed brick tablet. Attached to the south corner is an elaborate wrought iron bracket supporting a bell and large lantern of opaque glass. The south side has a gable and three gabled dormers to the upper floor with mullioned and transomed windows, C20 but within original openings. The ground floor has a series of openings with cambered rubbed brick voussoirs with keystones containing sash windows with glazing bars to the upper parts only, and doorcases with fanlights some with half-glazed doors. The north side is plainer with a flight of steps with handrail leading to a casement window linked to a half-glazed door. The west link block, between the north and south, ranges has a mullioned and transomed window on the upper floor and cambered eight paned sash windows to the ground floor.

The east end of the south range facing the main house has a gable end with carved bargeboards and timber framing with curved braces, and two first floor canted bays with mullioned and transomed windows supported on large brackets. The ground floor has two cambered headed sash windows with glazing bars to the upper parts and to the left is a curbing stone and a curved section of brick walling. The north side has a large tile-hung gable and a penticed and a gabled dormer, all with mullioned and transomed wooden casements. The ground floor has two cambered sash windows to the east but a brick and glazed projection has replaced the range of wooden coach doors and elaborate glazed canopies shown in a late C19 photograph. The south side has a projecting gable at the eastern end and a set back gable and some casement windows visible, but most of this side is now concealed behind a late C20 classroom block which has been built alongside.

INTERIOR: Not inspected but no internal fittings visible.

HISTORY: The first edition Ordnance Survey map shows a building with an entirely different footprint on the site, probably farm buildings situated to the west of the farmhouse. John Bruce bought the estate in the 1870s and commissioned Adolphus Croft, an in-house architect for Gillow and Co. (later Waring and Gillow) to demolish the existing farmhouse and build a new mansion called South Park. According to a local directory the house was newly built in 1885. In 1885 a photograph was taken of the stables by Bedford Lemere. By 1890 the estate was owned by the architect's brother Arthur Croft (1828-1893 or 1902) a notable painter who specialised in painting mountain scenery.

From about 1930 South Park ceased being a private house and became a boarding school for girls called Wadhurst College. The former stables were also used for educational purposes. Wadhurst College was joined by the Legat Ballet School in the 1980s and in the early 1990s was amalgamated with Micklefield School from Seaford and was known as Micklefield Wadhurst. In 1997 it became a branch of Bellerbys College.

SOURCES:
1885 photograph by Bedford Lemere.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Stables at Wadhurst College, formerly South Park are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* The stables were built by the same architect as the main house in a similar style and building materials.
* They have good quality details include the clock turret with pyramidal lead roof, ornamental corner lamp bracket, gables wih projecting bays and rubbed brick details.
* The exterior survives substantially intact.
* These former stables have group value with the main house from which it was designed to be seen.

Reasons for Listing

The former stables at Wadhurst College are designated for the following principal reasons:
* The stables were built in 1885 by the same architect who built the main house, South Park, Adolphus Croft and are built in a similar Domestic Revival style using similar building materials.
* They have good quality architectural details include the lead-roofed clock tower with weathervane, ornamental wrought iron corner bracket with bell and lantern, gables with projecting bays and rubbed brick voussoirs and tablet.
* Externally the building survives fairly intact apart from the replacement of a few windows within the existing openings and the loss of the coach doors and glazed canopy. Internally, because of later educational use, original stable fittings do not survive.
* The stables have group value with the main house, originally called South Park, later Wadhurst College from which they were designed to be seen.

External Links

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