Description

427/0/10029

LOXWOOD
OAKHURST LANE
Oakhurst Farmhouse

05-FEB-07

GV
II
Former farmhouse, now house. West wing mid C18, east wing early to mid C19, probably replacing an earlier building. C19 and C20 refenestration. The C20 conservatory attached to the south side is not of special interest.

MATERIALS: west wing of red brick in Flemish bond with deep projecting brick plinth in English bond with gabled tiled roof and end brick chimneystacks, each with two flues linked by a round-headed brick arch, the northern one projecting slightly. The east wing is of red brick on the ground floor in English garden wall bond and mainly tile-hung above. The roof is tiled, gabled to the west and hipped to the east with a catslide outshot to the east. No chimneystacks survive to this range.

PLAN: T-shaped, with west wing of two storeys and three bays, and attic and cellars, with central staircase with two rooms on each floor, and lower two storey east wing of three bays with separate staircase.

EXTERIOR: the west wing has all principal features on the west side. Both ground and first floor windows have two end cambered openings with late C19 wooden casement windows. The central window at mezzanine level is a similar window but with round-headed rubbed brick relieving arch above and brick apron below, lighting the central staircase. The basement has window openings and a doorcase. The attic has two modern rooflights, one replacing a dormer shown in a circa 1905 photograph. The north and south fronts each have one window on each floor to the east of the chimneystacks in cambered heads. The north windows are C19 wooden casements, the south windows C20 sixteen-pane sash windows with top opening lights. The east side has no windows at all. Only the northern part is visible, the southern part concealed by the lower eastern wing.

The eastern wing has irregular fenestration with two C19 casements to the upper floor of the north side and a C19 cambered casement to the ground floor with a C20 window to the ground floor. The south side has a recessed centre and three irregularly placed C20 sash or casement windows, a large C20 four-light casment to the ground floor east side and a simple doorcase currently obscured by a C20 conservatory.

INTERIOR: the west wing has two blank, round-headed arched recesses to the east wall of the ground floor and, providing access from the east wing, a round-headed arch with keystone and pilasters with impost blocks. In the centre of the west wing is a fine mid C18 dogleg staircase between the cellars and first floor with chamfered square newel posts, slender turned balusters and panelled dados. Mid C18 architraves with six-panelled doors on the ground floor lead to two rooms. The northern room has mid C18 panelling on all four sides with moulded cornices and dado rails. The eastern wall has a round-headed alcove with later shelving, both the north and west sides have panelled window seats and panelled window shutters and the north side has a fireplace with marble surround with two panels to the overmantel and a built-in cupboard but late C19 fireplace. The south room is currently in use as a kitchen.

The first floor has a landing with panelled dado and two bedrooms. The south bedroom has a moulded cornice and late C19 wooden fireplace with brackets and tiled surround. In the south west corner is a cupboard with two-panelled door with panels above. It is possible that panelling survives beneath the current wallcovering. The north first floor room also has a moulded cornice, a mid C19 wooden fireplace with cast iron firegrate and panelled window seat with panel above the window. It is possible that original panelling survives beneath the current wall covering. The staircase between first floor and attics is an early C19 half winder staircase with stick balusters and columned newel posts. The roof has staggered purlins cut away to insert modern rooflights and some original wide floorboards. The cellar has brick arches supporting the end chimneystacks and two axial beams.

The east wing contains a large C19 well staircase with square newel posts and stick balusters, some four-panelled doors and a wooden bressumer over a brick fireplace in the centre of the south side, either reused or brought in.

HISTORY: the building was part of the Loxwood Hall estate and was a main steading which was from circa 1600 to 1900 in the ownership of the King family. In the C20 it was in the ownership of one family for over eighty five years. The farmhouse is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1875, but while the west wing has its current profile there, the eastern wing is longer than it appears either on the 1912 map or currently. The 1912 map shows a projection on the eastern end of the south side of the east range which could be a porch.

STATEMENT OF IMPORTANCE: a farmhouse of special architectural interest with grand mid C18 west parlour wing containing good quality contemporary joinery including central staircase, doors and panelling. The early to mid C19 wing to the east is also of interest and the ensemble is characterful and groups well with the listed C18 barn.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26671214

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

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability