Park Gate and attached wall to the north west and south east, Ringmer, East Sussex

Description

946/0/10048
05-MAR-08

RINGMER
UCKFIELD ROAD
Park Gate and attached wall to the north west and south east

Large detached house. The eastern range is dated 1807 on a brick in the kitchen, but possibly incorporates some earlier fabric. The south western range is of early to mid C19 date, in existence by 1875. The south western full-height square bays were added by 1910. Refurbished after 1985.

MATERIALS: the eastern range is mainly hung with mathematical tiles, painted, the south west range painted brick in Flemish bond. There is a hipped slate roof with two tall yellow brick chimneystacks and wide overhanging eaves with paired wooden brackets to the eastern range.

PLAN: roughly L-shaped, the earlier eastern part of three parallel ranges, stepped to the north west, the south western L-wing at right angles to these. Two storeys with irregularly-spaced sash windows.

EXTERIOR: the south west elevation of the eastern part is of painted mathematical tiles in Flemish bond. The first floor has three tripartite 20-pane sash windows and one 12-pane sash and the ground floor has one 20-pane tripartite sash and two 12-pane sashes. The penultimate window to the right was formerly an entrance but in the later C20 this was converted into a window and the entrance moved to the position of the left hand window. This entrance has a C20 columned porch with six-panelled door, the top two panels glazed, and a semi-circular fanlight. The north east elevation has the three stepped parallel ranges. The north west elevation is also likely to be hung with mathematical tiles. A straight joint to the right of the easternmost ground floor window suggests that this post-dates the western part. The first floor has three irregularly-spaced windows, two 12-pane sash windows without horns and a 12-pane round-headed staircase window. The ground floor has two 12-pane sash windows, the two eastern ones late C20 replacements and a doorcase with six-panelled door, the four upper panels of which are glazed, and a flat hood. The south eastern elevation is probably of painted brick and has four windows with multi-pane sashes, the northern and penultimate window to the south replaced by 1910 with full-height square bays with four narrow lights. A C20 single storey brick porch with half-glazed central door flanked by sidelights is linked to the square bays. Behind is a six-panelled door, the top four panels glazed, with semi-circular fanlight. Only the windows to the south bay are without horns. The south east return of this front has a single 12-pane sash to first floor only.

Park Gate is set within an attached walled garden, the part to the south east and north west of the house early C19 of flint with brick lacing courses, coping and buttresses.

INTERIOR: The south west entrance leads to a narrow corridor with C20 dado panelling and some six-panelled doors. The drawing room to the south west has a narrow moulded cornice, a brought-in marble fireplace (possible French) and two round-headed alcoves, the northern with serpentine shelves possibly older but the southern one of late C20 date. The music room to the north west has an Adam style wooden fireplace which replaced an Edwardian fireplace. The corridor links to a large staricase hall accessed directly from the entrance in the south eastern elevation. The dogleg staircase has a mahogany handrail and stick balusters. On the ground floor it is flanked by two original Tuscan half-columns to which two replicas were added in the late C20. On the first floor landing are two original Ionic half-columns. The hall has a late C20 bolection-moulded fireplace. To the north east is a large dining room with cross beams, possibly concealing an earlier spine beam, and late C20 alcove with serpentine shelves. The north eastern study has a wide central spine beam and a brought-in wooden Adam style fireplace and C20 shelving. The rooms to the north west of the ground floor are service rooms and the kitchen has a dated brick of 1807. In the north western corner is a smaller early C19 dogleg winder staircase with mahogany handrail and column newels. The first floor has a number of early C19 fireplaces which include a reeded wooden fireplace with floral paterae, black marble interior and cast iron firegrate and two reeded wooden fireplaces with marble interior and cast iron fiegrates. There is also a mid C19 marble fireplace with paterae and round-headed cast iron firegrate and a later C19 cast iron firegrate. A number of rooms have a narrow moulded cornice and six-panelled doors.

HISTORY: The house is thought to have acquired its name as a corruption of Park Gutt, the name of a stream. However, the cartographic evidence also makes it clear that the house stood at the gate of a deer park, probably medieval, which lay to its south east, with Park House perpetuating the site of its lodge. It is believed there was a building on the site in the C17, part of which may be incorporated in the present building, but the land was sold in 1785 and acquired by William Green. A dated brick of 1807 in the kitchen bears Green's initials. William Green died in 1820. A document of 1887 refers to "a freehold messuage called Park Gate with the cottage, stables, coach house, buildings, garden and land containing sixteen acres more or less situate at Ringmer and South Malling in the county of Sussex" which was one of the properties of Araunah Green of Brighton. Araunah Verall married William Green's illegitimate daughter and changed his name to Green.

The building is shown on the 1840 Ringmer Tithe map. On the 1875 Ordnance Survey map it is shown as a rectangular shape with paths leading to doors in the south west and north east sides, a walled garden to the north west, stable block to the south east and carriage drive to the south west. The footprint had not changed by the 1899 O S map. By the 1910 O S map a square projection had been added at the western end of the south western side and a similar square projection added on the south western side. A detached service building had also been added to the north east. In 1955 the property was sold with one acre and the stables sold off separately. After 1984 the property was refurbished.

SOURCES:
East Sussex Records Office GBN/28/20. Document of 1887 describing the property.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION:
* Park Gate is a large detached house, the major part built in 1807, possibly enclosing part of a C17 or C18 building, with a western wing added in the early to mid C19.
* The earlier eastern part is hung with mathematical tiles, an unusual and fairly rare building material, and has mainly original sash windows, including tripartite windows and a round-headed staircase window, and paired brackets to the wide eaves cornice.
* Despite some late C20 refurbishment the interior retains two good quality early C19 staircases, some decorative Tuscan and Ionic half-columns, a number of early C19 fireplaces and some six-panelled doors.
* It is set within an attached walled garden, the part to the south east and north west of the house early C19 of flint with brick lacing courses, cornice and brick buttresses.

Reasons for Listing

Park Gate, Uckfield Road, Ringmer is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Park Gate is a large detached house, the major part built in 1807, possibly enclosing a C17 or C18 core, with a western wing added in the early to mid C19.
* The earlier range is hung with mathematical tiles, an unusual and fairly rare building material, retains mainly original sash windows, including tripartite windows and a round-headed stairase window and has paired brackets to the wide overhanging eaves.
* Despite some later C20 refurbishment, the interior retains two good quality early C19 staircases, some decorative Tuscan and Ionic half-columns, a number of early C19 fireplaces and some six-panelled doors.
* It is set within a walled garden some of which is early C19 of flint with brick lacing courses, coping and buttresses.

External Links

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