Description

GRANTCHESTER

412/0/10012 MILL WAY
24-JAN-03 7
BALLS GROVE

II
Large house. 1906-7. For C.E.Inglis. Rough cast brick with brick plinth. Plain tile roof with various brick ridge and end stacks. Vernacular Revival style with Jacobean style entrance frontespiece and mainly leaded light casements. Central hall plan. 2 storeys and attic.
Entrance front has a central projecting Jacobean style frontespiece of 2 storeys then a facing gable either side with a catslide roof to house gable ends beyond them. The frontespiece further projects in the centre as a 2-storey porch with wooden pediment and tile roof behind, the rest of the frontespiece being flat-roofed. There is continuous leaded light glazing to the first floor across the frontespiece and round the porch, the glazing continuing down on one side to light the lower flight of the staircase. The porch has a pair of small columns in antis to either side and leads to the front door. The rest of the front has fenestration of casements and mullion and transom windows and 3 2-light gabled dormers over the frontespiece. Left end has 2-light casements to 1st floor and 3-light to attic and a single-storey extension to ground floor. Right end has 3 2-light casements to 1st floor and 4-light to attic and, to ground floor, a canted bay and a single-storey extension. Garden front has central loggia projecting forward with later glazing and carved window and door frames within inscribed with initials CEI and EI AD 1907. 5-light casement over and flat-roofed 3-light dormer. To either side a 3-storey canted bay continuing through the eaves and with weatherboarding to the top gable ends. To far right of this front is the projecting single-storey section with 4-light casement over and a 3-light flat-roofed dormer high in the roof.
INTERIOR. Panelled porch leads to large hall, double height in part, with staircase hall which flows into it to the left. Hall has limed oak raised and fielded panelling and stone fireplace with tile interior with brass art nouveau style grilles and ornament. The open-well staircase, which has a stick balustrade with the balusters placed diagonally, leads to a fine gallery which continues across the porch and cloaks, looks down into the hall, and is lit by the continuous glazing of the frontespiece. Arcade of square wooden piers on the hall side and a stick balustrade similar to the staircase. The drawing room has painted framed panelling with dentil cornice but the fireplace within the inglenook was replaced 1960's. The dining room has painted framed panelling and a bolection moulded stone fireplace with 1960's insert. The main staircase continues from the gallery to the attic and has panelling to the walls. Some 1st floor and attic fireplaces remain, that to centre 1st floor with painted surround and blue tiling. Back stairs from ground floor to attic,
Balls Grove is a well-detailed house of the period with an unusual frontespiece and many good interior features including an impressive staircase hall.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26314606

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

• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)