Description

BROADHEMBURY BROADHEMBURY
SY 10 SW

5/54 Church Gate

22.2.55 (formerly listed as Church Gate
Cottages)
GV II*

House, probably a church house. C16, some C20 renovations. Stone rubble; roof
gabled at ends, slate to the front of the ridge, thatch to the rear. Thatched lean-
to at right end; end stacks, the shaft of the left end stack Beerstone ashlar mixed
with a grey freestone, modern brick repair at the top; right end stack with a larger
shaft of similar construction with a moulded cornice.
Plan: Extremely interesting historic plan form: a single depth range with heated
rooms to left and right, the left hand room a high quality parlour, the right hand
room probably a kitchen. In the centre an unheated service room behind an axial
passage along the front; there was originally a central entrance into the axial
passage. There is no evidence of an original internal stair but 2 blocked first
floor doorways on the front suggest that external staircases existed, leading to what
may have been one or two large rooms on the first floor serving some kind of communal
function. Alterations have involved moving the front door to right of centre and the
creation of a through passage between the kitchen and the service room. A C20 stair
has been introduced, leading off the axial passage and partly cutting through the
service room, the first floor has been repartitioned. The original plan form,
nevertheless, is surprisingly complete for a church house.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Tall, asymmetrical 4 window front with a rustic porch on posts
to right of centre (a C20 replacement) and a C20 plank front door. The original
doorway, to the left of the present door, has been blocked and converted to a window;
1-light C16 window to the left with a hollow-chamfered Beerstone frame. To the right
of the porch straight joints indicate a blocked window. On the first floor 2 blocked
doorways to left and right of centre, to the extreme left a 3-light timber mullioned
window with external glazing. 3 probably C20 windows to the centre and right. The
rear elevation has a good C16 3-light Beerstone mullioned window lighting the parlour
with hollow-chamfered mullions stanchions and leaded panes, some old and retaining
old glass.
Interior: Very rich in carpentry and joinery. The unheated service room in the
centre is formed by tall oak plank and muntin screens, the left and right screens
extending to the front wall with original chamfered doorframes with cranked lintels
leading into the parlour and (formerly) into the kitchen. The service room is
entered from the axial passage through a similar doorframe: a massive deep-chamfered
crossbeam with scroll stops runs through the screen above the doorframe. The
parlour, at the left end, has richly-moulded intersecting beams to the ceiling. A
probably late C17 turned vertical post has been added in the centre of the room,
presumably to give additional support to the ceiling. C20 fireplace, possibly
concealing earlier features. The kitchen has a massive, partly blocked fireplace
retaining an early lintel; a doorway adjacent to the stack, leading into the lean-to
has a stone segmental lintel. The first floor has a set of chamfered stopped
crossbeams.
Roof: Not inspected at time of survey but quite likely to be contemporary with the
building.
Church Gate is sited immediately north-west of the parish church, its specialized
plan form, rich carpentry detail and position in an outstanding estate village makes
it of particular importance.

Listing NGR: ST1014804725

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17547170

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)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)