Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 28/10/2014

1144/0/10061

KEYMER, Hassocks,
LONDON ROAD,
New Close Farmhouse

(Formerly listed as New Close Farm)

02-AUG-02

II

Farmhouse, later converted into country hotel, now house. Northernmost part is a two bay early C17 crosswing to a now demolished earlier main range. To the south west a late C17 two bay main range was erected. In the early C18 the eastern outshut was built over and the building converted into a central entrance end chimneystack house. The building was refronted in the early C19 and extended by about half to the south and refenestrated in the late C19. Northern part timberframed but refronted in brick, the end bay mathematical tiles, southern part of brick but east front partially shingled. Roof is mainly tiled but south westernmost slope is covered with Horsham stone slabs. Five tall brick chimneystacks, two ribbed. Two storeys and attics: irregular fenestration, six windows to west front, some sashes, some casements with leaded lights including many with yellow stained glass.
EXTERIOR: West (original front) elevation is in two parts. The northern part which incorporates the earliest part of the building has an early C19 mainly brick but partially mathematical tiled front and three windows. Brick pilasters either side of central window. Northernmost bay has late C19 full-height tall French window with side-lights and four-light fanlight, all with decorative leaded lights with bevel-edged glass. Remaining first floor windows are a single and right side triple mid C19 sash with central glazing bars and the ground floor has a splayed bay, with similar windows. Hipped porch with Horsham stone slabs, supported on bracketed wooden piers. Plinth. North elevation is of brick and retains a section of C18 English bond brickwork with some vitrified headers and deep plinth. Southern part of western elevation is of late C19 brickwork in stretcher bond with Horsham stone slab to front part of the roof. First floor has three oriel windows with leaded lights. Ground floor is mainly set back behind a wooden arched verandah with porch to left and doorcase set sideways. South elevation has Two gables with scalloped wooden bargeboards, five casements with leaded lights to first floor, French windows with leaded lights set back under wooden arched verandah and octagonal corner turret to south east, the first floor pebbledashed with lead roof and leaded light windows. East elevation has C18 half-hipped gable with dogtooth cornice to north, C19 attic window with leaded lights and late C19 leaded light window below. Adjoining two bays to the south have C18 hipped roof and are brick to ground floor and tile-hung to first floor but after 1896 a two storey projection was added with three gables with carved bargeboards and terracotta finials.The first floor is hung with very small shingles and has two triple mullioned and transomed casements with leaded lights. The ground floor has a wooden triple arched verandah with two mullioned windows with leaded lights and right side wide cambered doorcase with early C19 plank door with beading. Southern part of east front has a further two bays with similar gables, shingled first floor and mullioned and transomed windows and arched verandah to ground floor and a projecting brick wing to which the octagonal turret is attached. Attached outbuildings to the south east date from after 1938.
INTERIOR: Early C17 crosswing retains southern wall at first floor level, of small panel type with heavy midrail and roof of clasped purlin type. Late C17 two bay main range retains an east-west internal wall on both floors with small-panel framing with midrails (a mixture of continuous and interrupted type) and part of the front wall. The southern ground floor room has two crossbeams which are roughly chamfered with cyma stop and joists which were originally underplastered. There is a similar central girder to the first floor and a roof of heavy butt purlin construction framed in four bays with many reused timbers, some from a soot blackened clasped side-purlin roof. Immediately to the north of the east-west partition wall is a c1730 balustraded staircase with handrail and column newel post with small section sawn off at the top. Underneath this a flight of brick steps lead to an early C18 stone cellar with pointed arched alcove and several rectangular alcoves. The late C17 outshut was rebuilt in the early C18 and the ground floor kitchen has axial beams with one inch chamfers and brick cambered fireplace. Southern wall of original part has an early C19 marble fireplace with paterae, reeded pilasters and cast iron firegrate. Late C19 north function room extends through ground and first floors with strapwork dado panelling and a southern ground floor room has heavy coffered ribbed ceiling and large inglenook fireplace.
HISTORY: Shown as New Close on Budgen's Map of 1724. Circa 1909 it was known as Orchard Farm. For a while in the early C20 it was a country hotel..

[David and Barbara Martin. Report no 1427 "An Archaeological Interpretative Survey of New Close Farm, London Road, Hassocks, West Sussex" 2001. ]

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26380451

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

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  For the Record