Description

TQ 36 NE
785/2/10073
15-NOV-00

HIGH STREET
West Wickham
92
Unigate Dairies
KENT ROAD
West Wickham
2 AND 4
Unigate Dairies

II

Originally stable range, later dairy and printing works. Built c1890 as stabling to Wickham Hall for Gustave Mellin the baby food manufacturer, possibly by the architect for the main house, Walter Millard who was an assistant to William Burges and G E Street and tried to set up a French-style atelier in London Arts and Crafts style. Roughcast with tiled plinth and slate roofs with roughcast chimneystacks. One storey or one storey and attics, irregular fenestration, mainly sash windows or pivoting casements. Arranged around three sides of a courtyard with further north wing which is stabling. Central part of courtyard east front has three flat-roofed 4-light dormers, 8 cambered 16-pane sashes and large central round-headed arched brown-tiled opening. The principal feature is a central clocktower, the clock face on a square plinth with moulded wooden cornice, above a tapering slate-hung tower surmounted by wooden cupola with ogee-headed lead dome with finial and metal weathervane. Projecting wings to north and south. North wing was originally the coach house. Two flat-roofed dormers and gable with C20 window and two roughcast chimneystacks. Ground floor originally had four coach doors replaced after 1931 by sash windows. East gable front has first floor five-light oriel and two oculi below. Corner tiled pilasters. To the north is a two storeyed flat-roofed tower with mullioned and transomed casement with open pediment to first floor. South wing is similar to north wing but the ground floor now has a later C20 brick extension and the east gable has no windows on the ground floor. Two storey tower to south has in addition a doorcase with tiled surround and flat-roofed wooden cornice on brackets. West elevation to Kent Road has three tall flat-roofed hayloft doors with brackets and remains of hoists. Ground floor has 7 cambered 24-pane sashes with horns and cambered doorcase to left with deep fanlight. To the right are three cambered openings with pivoting casements. Northern stable range east front has three cambered dormers and a series of cambered pivoting casements. West front has 10 cambered pivoting casements. To the south is a taller pavilion with square wood and lead cupola with ornamental finial and a one bay section with cambered headed door on pintle hinges. At the extreme north is a two storey pavilion with hayloft door and louvred gablets. Facing north is a one storey range with three windows and chimneystack, possibly originally a tackroom.
INTERIOR: Former stabling to north has 8 bay arch-braced wooden roof supported on corbels, brown glazed tiled walls now painted and narrow wooden staircase to hayloft. Southern range has metal-framed roof. Some C20 partitions, suspended ceilings and staircase.
HISTORY: Wickham Hall was demolished in 1931. Subsequently the stables were sold to United Dairies as a milk depot as horses were then still being used for milk deliveries. Later a printing works occupied most of the Kent Road part of the buildings.

[Joyce Walker "Vanished West Wickham" Hollies Publications. 1994. P131, p135.]

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26558721

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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