Description

TQ 67 41 BRENCHLEY HIGH STREET, BRENCHLEY

15/89 (north side)
20.10.54 Portobello

GV II

House. 1739, built for Timothy Monckton, remodelled and extended in 1839 for
Jonathan Monckton, internal alterations of 1970. The principal block is
stuccoed and blocked out with a slate roof, the rear blocks are brick to the
ground floor, tile-hung, framed construction above and painted white, with a
peg-tile roof; stacks with rendered shafts.

Plan: The house faces approximately west. Double depth plan;2 rooms wide
with a central entrance. 2 principal rooms to the front with a smaller
principal room in the rear right wing; rear left service block, roofed
parallel to the main range. The irregularity of the service block suggests
that the 1739 phase may have incorporated an earlier building on the site.
The right end bay of the main block is an addition or more likely rebuilding
of 1839, including a first floor bow on the right return. During this phase
the house was re-roofed. In 1970 the straight stair facing the front door was
replaced with a curving stair in a late C18 manner and there were minor
alterations to the internal partitions.

Exterior: 2 storeys. Slate roof, hipped at ends of main range with deep
eaves on paired brackets with lozenges on the soffit, stacks with semi-
circular dividers to the shafts. Almost symmetrical 7-bay front, the right
end bay with early C19 16-pane sashes, the other windows probably C18 12-pane
sashes with chamfered architraves. Fine projecting Doric porch, shown on an
elevation dated 1826. The porch has a Portland stone step, an entablature
with a triglyph frieze with guttae and a deep projecting cornice, the soffit
decorated with paterae. 6-panel front door with fielded panels in a round-
headed doorframe with panelled reveals and a fanlight that incorporates a
candle lantern with iron cresting with antefixae at the angles. The lantern
could be lit from inside the house. The right return of the main block has a
first floor bow carried on columns with 16-pane sashes to the first and ground
floor. The rear block has a pre 1826 ground floor canted bay window with a
modillion frieze, moulded cornice and fluted pilasters, glazed with 16- and 8-
pane sashes. Beyond it the house is tile-hung to the first floor with a 6-
panel door with a flat porch hood into the service block; one first floor 2-
light casement and, at the east end of the wing an oversailing first floor,
probably to provide a verandah. The left return is stuccoed and blocked out
with a C19 panelled door into the rear block which has a bulls eye window in
the gable with diagonal glazing bars and a moulded architrave. The
asymmetrical rear elevation has a set of C20 casements with square leaded
panes, except the first floor of the south east wing which has an C18 3-light
casement with square leaded panes and quadrant window catches.

Interior: Retains a number of C18 features; the 1970 alterations are
sympathetic. The front right room has a white marble chimney-piece with
reeded jambs, re-sited from elsewhere in the house. The left end room
chimney-piece has been removed. The 1970 stair has stick balusters and a
mahogany handrail and rises to the original C18 first floor arch with a dentil
frieze. The first floor left hand room has a fine C18 timber chimney-piece
complete with fire basket. Original joinery includes shutters and 2-panel
doors. The attic space of the front block is plastered for service
accommodation and includes original doors. Where the roof structure is
exposed in the service blocks it is of clasped purlin construction.

The house was named in celebration of Admiral Vernon's capture of Portobello
in 1739. Group value with the barn, cottage and garden walls.

A handsome gentry house, visible from the road, with some fine interior and
external detail.

A copy of an elevation of the house, dated 1826 and signed by John Adams,
surveyor, of Tenterden, is in the possession of the owner.

Listing NGR: TQ6781341889

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26554432

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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  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
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