Summary

House, formerly farmhouse. The earliest part the remaining bay of a late-C15 or early-C16 hall-house, with a late-C16 or early-C17 cross-wing. This was extended to the south-east in the late C18 or early C19 and further extended in the late C19 or early C20. A single storey extension was also added to the west in 2004 and this not contribute to special interest

Description

House, formerly farmhouse. The earliest part the remaining bay of a late-C15 or early-C16 hall-house, with a late-C16 or early-C17 cross-wing. This was extended to the south-east in the late C18 or early C19 and further extended in the late C19 or early C20. A single storey extension was also added to the west in 2004 and this not contribute to special interest

MATERIALS: the north-east part is timber-framed with rendered or painted brick infill. The remainder is of stone, mainly roughcast rendered. The tiled roof has five brick chimneystacks.

PLAN: the earliest part of the building is the surviving western bay of a late-C15 or early-C16 two-bay open hall house aligned east to west. A smoke bay was probably first inserted into the eastern open hall bay and a ceiling into the western bay to provide a further chamber above before a four-bay late-C16 or early-C17 parlour wing replaced the original solar bay, added at right angles on its south-west end. The parlour wing comprised a two-bay parlour to the south, the staircase bay and a single-bay room to the north on the ground floor, and two chambers above. When the parlour wing was added the floor height in the earlier open hall bay was heightened, a chimney was added and the hall bay became the service end of the house. This plan was altered by the addition of a further bay to the north-east of the open hall, probably in the early C19. Possibly at the same time, and certainly by 1872, further bays on each side were added to the south end of the cross-wing to provide three bays on the entrance front, the central cross-wing bay projecting further than the others. A further bay was added on the south-east side by 1916. An extension was added to the south-west in the C20.

EXTERIOR: the south-east or entrance front is of two storeys and five bays, constructed of stone rubble, mainly roughcast rendered. The central bay projects under a gable and is the only part with exposed stone-work. The end pilasters are rendered. There is a two-light wooden casement in the gable end and a similar three-light window to the first floor. The ground floor has a central projecting gabled weather-hood over an ogee-arched door, flanked by multi-pane side-lights. The other bays have four-light casement windows to both floors but the western bay has a small gable and projecting penticed ground floor with a triple casement window. Attached at the south-west side is a C20 single-storey addition in matching materials with a half-hipped roof and an oval oculus over a segmental-arched window.

The north-east side is of two parallel ranges. The southern range has a hipped roof, a formerly exterior rendered and brick chimneystack and a lean-to C20 conservatory. The northern bay is half-hipped with a four-light window on the first floor and an entrance on the ground floor.

The north-west or rear elevation has on the east side a tall chimneystack rising out of the end bay and the adjoining bay, which enclosed the open hall bay, has a gabled dormer. There is a penticed ground floor projection in front of these bays. The western bay has the exposed north gable end of the C17 cross-wing with the timber-frame exposed, including end posts, tie beam and curved wind-braces.

The south-west side is mainly concealed by a later single-storey service wing extension with a half-hipped roof, an external brick chimneystack and a service entrance.

INTERIOR: the main entrance in the south side leads directly into the late-C16 or early-C17 cross-wing parlour, which has an exposed timber-framed east wall (originally external), some framing exposed in the west wall, a moulded spine beam with a two and a half inch ovolo-moulding and hollow-chamfered floor joists with run out stops. At the north end of the hall is a staircase-bay, containing a C19 Jacobean style staircase with turned balusters and newel posts replacing the original staircase, but the partition wall has original timbers, including curved tension braces and a narrow curved door-head into a closet. There is a chamfered door frame with mason's mitres leading into the ground floor north bay of the cross-wing. This has exposed plain ceiling beams and wall frame. The ground floor open hall bay, now a sitting room, is separately framed from the cross-wing and has a central spine beam and the east face of the chimneybreast has a lower beam with mortices for earlier floor joists. A bread oven with metal door recorded in 1978 is situated in a later lean-to extension adjoining to the north. The drawing room to the east of the hall has an early C20 wooden fireplace with Gibbs surround and a carved central panel. The dining room to the west of the hall has a bolection-moulded fireplace.

Some posts are visible on the first floor and the southern chamber of the cross-wing has small panel framing to the east. A timber diamond-mullioned window has been exposed in the west wall. Carpenters' assembly marks survive in the north bedroom of the parlour wing. The open hall bay retains wide jowl posts and arched braces. The half-winder staircase between first floor and attic has timber posts and balusters and a wattle and daub panel.

The open hall bay has a clasped side purlin roof with two queen struts up to the collar. There are smoke-blackened rafters and an un-blackened wattle and daub infill panel to the east indicating the former insertion of a smoke bay. The parlour range retains its in-line butt-purlin roof with high collar beams for maximum head height.

History

The earliest part of the property is on the east side, a timber-framed structure, comprising the late-C15 or early-C16 surviving open hall bay of a two-bay open hall house with a four-bay parlour wing added at right angles and replacing the solar in the late C16 or early C17.

Buildings on the site are shown on Rocque's map of 1768 and on the 1793 Lindley Crosley map. but at a scale not possible to identify individual buildings. On the 1839 Tithe Map a number of buildings are shown on the site, the plot identified on the Schedule as 'homestall', an old term for 'homestead'. These include the house, square in shape with a projection at the south-west corner and two separate large ranges, probably agricultural buildings, to the south. The Tithe Schedule lists the occupant as Richard Baker (1781-1849), a major farmer in the parish. On the 1841 Census he and his family were living in a dwelling called 'Upper West End'.

By the 1872 First Edition 25'' Ordnance Survey map the property is labelled 'Broomfield', the probable agricultural ranges to the south are no longer present, a carriage drive from the south leads to both the house and a separate building, now called The Coach House, which is shown for the first time to the west of the farmhouse. The farmhouse is shown as a roughly L-shaped building, the south-west or entrance front of three bays with a projecting central bay. The property appears to have changed from a farmstead to a gentleman's residence between 1839 and 1872.

The renowned illustrator Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) who leased a London house in Great Russell Street, spent most of his last three years at Broomfields, which was his country cottage. The house was illustrated in four plates: 'How Tankerville Smith took a Holiday Cottage', first published in 'The Graphic' in 1883 and re-published in 1891. The house is shown here as a three-bay property with a projecting gable and hipped roof and a set back to the east. Another sketch shows the drawing room with French windows and dado rail and the conservatory beyond. An unfinished painting of the coach house is at Beatrix Potter's house Hilltop, in the Lake District. Between 1883 and 1886 Caldecott produced several children's books and illustrated Aesop's Fables and Jackanapes.

The 1898 Second Edition Ordnance Survey map shows a conservatory added to the east part of the south-east elevation and a small extension had been added to the south part of the west side of the house. Sales Particulars exist for the Frensham Hill Estate of 1897 (when the estate was bought by Charrington), 1911, 1921 and 1925. These indicate an increase in the width of the drawing room and the conservatory. The Third Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1916 shows the house has been expanded by a bay on each side of the entrance front to five bays and the coach house has acquired three small extensions.

In the 1921 Sales Particulars Broomfields was advertised as Lot 5 of The Frensham Hill Estate and was described as a 'very choice Freehold Old-Fashioned Stone-built Jacobean Residence'. It is thought to have been purchased at that date by the tenant the Rev. Ernest Mort, whose family lived there until about 1959.

In 1978, at the invitation of the owners at that time, the Domestic Buildings Research Group Surrey carried out a survey of the timber-framed part of the house.

A single storey extension was built on the western side of the house in 2004.

The description and evolution of the historic building are informed by the expert survey by Forum Heritage Services (June 2016).

Reasons for Listing

Broomfields, the surviving part of a late-C15 or early-C16 timber-framed open hall house with a late-C16 or early-C17 cross-wing, extended probably by 1839, and further extended in the later C19 and early C20 is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: an interesting vernacular building including the remaining bay of a two-bay late-C15 or early-C16 open hall house and a four bay late-C16 or early C17 cross-wing with later additions, particularly on the entrance front;
* Plan form: the plan form of several periods, room use and circulation is still readable;
* Interior features: include good quality ceiling beams, door frames and the staircase from first floor to attic.
* Degree of survival: includes exposed timber-framing externally on the north west side, internally the east and part of the west exterior walls of the cross-wing are visible, also an internal partition, a diamond-mullioned window and two original roof assemblies, including a wattle and daub panel to a smoke bay;
* Historic associations: Between 1883-86 Broomfields was the holiday cottage of the distinguished illustrator Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886). Much of his output of those years was produced here and it included 'How Tankerville Smith Took a Country Cottage' 1883 which included illustrations of Broomfields.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q66478162

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.

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