Mayfurlong, Grindon, Grindon, Staffordshire

Summary

A farmhouse, dated 1844 and built of coursed sandstone with an ashlar front. The gabled roof is of fishscale tiles with a plain ridge. There are three storeys with four rooms to each floor and two staircases, and there is a cellar with two rooms.

Description

EXTERIOR: the south front is of three bays, near-symmetrically arranged and built of yellow sandstone. There is a projecting plinth and plain bands at the level of the first floor window sills and below the eaves with a panelled door slightly to left of centre with a moulded stone hood, supported on simple brackets. At either side are canted bays which have cast iron window surrounds of 6x6 panes at the front and 2x6 to the angles. These windows continue as canted bays to the first floor, but diminish in size, and C20 softwood casements have now been inserted. To the centre is the datestone, which has a projecting frame and bears the inscription 'A H / AD 1844'.

The other three fronts of the house have red sandstone walling with yellow sandstone quoins and dressings. The east flank has a window at first floor level to right, with cast iron surround of 7x6 panes. At attic level is a similar window of 6x6 panes. Both have deep stone lintels with a hoodmould. The west flank has a low ground floor window to the centre of 6x4 panes and an attic window of 6x6 panes with deep lintels and hoodmoulds, as before.

The rear has a doorway at right of centre with a plank door. To its left is a three-light casement at ground floor level. At right is larger three-light casement and above this is a window with cast iron frame of 7x6 panes. All openings have deep lintels with hoodmoulds. Adjoining the rear at right is a stone cistern with a lead lining.

To the front of the house is a stretch of low walling with chamfered coping which supports cast iron railings. These take the form of spears with occasional stouter balusters, which have vase finials.

INTERIOR: at ground floor level the kitchen and pantry are placed on the north face of the building with two reception rooms to the front. Stairs to the upper floors lead up from the kitchen and from a lobby to the rear of the eastern reception room. There are four bedrooms to each upper floor and both staircases continue to the top of the house.
The kitchen has a hearth on the western wall with a range dating from the early-C20. Above this is a shelf or plate rack which extends along the whole length of this wall. The sink is placed on the north wall below the window and the staircase leads up from the east side. The pantry has a stone trough and a continuous low stone shelf to its north wall, with wooden shelves above. Cast iron internal windows light the staircase and a service room. The flooring in the kitchen, pantry is the original stone flags. The south-western reception room has a stone fire surround with canted corners and its original cast iron grate. It retains its original flooring of black and red terracotta tiles. There is a plaque inset in the wall above the fireplace with a coat of arms, which may be chimney flue hatch. To the left of the fire is a fitted cupboard with doors to a cupboard above and drawers below, set into the thickness of the wall. The canted south window retains its shutters. The south-eastern room has wide, original floorboards. The original fire surround has been replaced with a tiled version in the mid C20. At either side are cupboards set in the wall, that to the right is a bureau cupboard which has two drawers with bun handles below and pigeon holes and a cupboard with inlay decoration to its door. At left is a smaller wall cupboard, also of mahogany. There are further original fireplaces with cast iron grates to the first floor bedrooms and small wall cupboards. The attic bedrooms have wide floorboards. The roof has two ranks of purlins and the original plaster torching is in situ. Panelled doors survive throughout the house.

History

The house is dated on a stone to the centre of the entrance front which has the date 1844 and the letters 'A H'. The Henniker family owned an estate in Grindon from 1775, although their principal seat was at Newton Hall in Essex. Following the death of Sir Brydges Henniker in 1817, the estate was divided into five portions, two of which went to members of the family who had the initial 'A' - The Revd. Augustine Brydges Henniker, and Aldborough Brydges Henniker. The architect of Mayfurlong is not known, although the Church of All Saints, Grindon, was rebuilt in the following year by F&H Francis. The Ordnance Survey map published in 1880 shows the house with a small enclosed garden and a shelter belt of trees, but no driveway or approach to the south front of the property.

Electricity has been supplied to some rooms, and there is a cold water supply to the kitchen, but otherwise the building has been little altered since it was first built.

The separate farm building to the north-east of the farmhouse appears to have been built at the same date. It has had a concrete floor laid and concrete stalls for cows in the C20.

Reasons for Listing

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
Mayfurlong, an estate farmhouse dated 1844, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural: the building has architectural presence and clearly represents in its architectural treatment and plan, the distinction between the formal aspect of a polite house on one side and the working nature of the farmyard on the other;
Intactness: the level of survival of the plan and the high number of original fittings throughout the building is remarkable;
Rarity: the survival of a building of this type and size in near-original condition is a considerable rarity.

External Links

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