Foxhunt Manor including the terrace wall and steps, Heathfield and Waldron, East Sussex

Summary

Foxhunt Manor, a Jacobean style brick country house of 1898-1899.

Description

A country house of 1898-1899 in Jacobean style probably designed by Frederick Reeve, a land agent from Halland. The 1964 brick extensions attached at the north side were added by the firm of J H Alleyn and Associates and are of lesser interest.

MATERIALS: red brick in England bond with terracotta window dressings and a plain-tiled hipped roof with terracotta ridge tiles and brick chimneystacks set diagonally, many clustered. Mullion and transom casement windows under drip moulds, some with leaded lights.

PLAN: the original plan was roughly L-shaped with a conservatory to the east, laid out as a central staircase-hall and four reception rooms with service rooms to the north-west. This was modified by 1931 when an extension was added to the north-east and circa 1936 when the staircase-hall was divided to form a separate room at the south end. In the 1960s the plan was further altered when extensions were added at the north-west end.

EXTERIOR: the south or entrance front is almost symmetrical and is of two storeys and attics and five bays. The central and end bays project. The central bay has a crenellated parapet and the upper floors each have a two-light window with trefoil heads. The ground floor has a wide gabled porch, possibly mid-C20, surrounding an earlier flat wooden hood supported on wooden Tuscan columns, with double doors approached by steps. The adjoining recessed bays have hipped dormers and plain parapets. There are three-light mullion and transom windows to the first floor, the left side ground floor window is four-light but the right side window three-light. The end bays are much wider with Dutch gables with terracotta finials and three-light windows to the attics. The lower floors project and have a pierced parapet with strapwork motifs and five-light windows below.

The west side comprises two sections. The southern part including some reception rooms is of two storeys and five bays. The central bay projects under a pierced balustrade with strapwork decoration. The windows below are five-light mullioned and transomed windows. The ground floor window has a central arched light and stained glass shields in the transoms. The southern bay of the first floor has had a later C20 wood and glazed balcony added. The ground floor has a three-light window with an arched head. The northern end has two similar wooden mullion and transom windows on the first floor and the ground floor window has a brick projection to the north which forms part of the service end.

The northern section of the west side was part of the service end and is of two storeys in similar brickwork with plainer wooden mullion and transom windows.

The east side has a parapet along most of its length and two external chimneystacks. A large later C20 wooden dormer with three casement windows has been added at the north side. The first floor has two mullion and transom windows, one two-light, one four-light. The ground floor has a circa 1898 T-shaped cast iron conservatory on a brick base. Its windows are paired arched lights with decorative ironwork and the gable to the eastern T-wing has an oval shell fanlight over double doors. At the north end is a hipped-roofed projection with a three-light casement.

The north side has a projecting gable to the east with a two-storey canted bay with mullion and transom windows, a recessed centre and a projecting bay to the west to which the 1960s wing is added.

Attached to Foxhunt Manor on the west, south and east sides is the terrace walling, built of similar bricks to the house, with brick piers at regular intervals crowned by gadrooned terracotta urns, and linked by sections of terracotta balustrade. On the west side there is a flight of steps with solid balustrading and terracotta coping and there is a break in the centre of the south side opposite the main entrance.

INTERIOR: the south entrance leads into an entrance hall with a square ribbed wooden ceiling and full-height panelling with pilasters and a frieze of grotesque heads. Originally this room included the main staircase and corridor to the north but a partition wall with plainer panelling and double doors with a round-headed fanlight was added later, probably after 1935 when the building became a school. The oak main staircase and corridor has similar panelling to the entrance hall and a similar frieze, and the staircase has flat balusters and square newel posts with Jacobean style finials.

The room to the west of the entrance hall has a square panelled ribbed oak ceiling, panelling to dado height and an oak fireplace surround with strapwork motifs, pilasters and an over-mantel with similar details and a central panel with a warrior's profile and scroll work. The west wall has an alcove with a four-centred arch. The centre of it has the date 1936 but the carving appears to be of the 1890s.

The east ground floor room is plainer but retains a late C19 fire surround with garlands and paired columns.

The adjoining conservatory retains its original multi-coloured tile floor and original shelves and heating pipes.

To the north of the east ground floor room is a large former billiard room which has a panelled alcove set in a large segmental arch supported on pilasters.

To the north of the west ground floor room is a former Library which has an oak ribbed ceiling, panelling, built-in shelving with pilasters and a carved frieze and a fire surround with fluted pilasters, a tiled hearth and an over-mantel with three round-headed arches and fluted Corinthian columns.

North of the library is a service staircase and a door with four panels separating off the service room to the north. The top two panels have leaded lights, and stained glass with trailing foliage and roundels with female heads, the lower panels have putti and scroll-work decoration. There is a round-headed fanlight and tapering pilasters.

The service rooms retain their original room divisions and the cellar retains slate shelves, a room with tiled walls and a built-in cupboard.

The first floor landing and corridor has a plastered cornice with garlands and mutules and panelled doors. Most rooms retains original fire surrounds, including one of white marble with pilasters and another of red and white marble. One room retains a built-in cupboard.

The attic floor is reached by a plainer straight flight staircase with stick balusters and square newel posts with carved knops. Several rooms retain original fire surrounds.

History

Foxhunt Manor was built in 1898 for a builder and Congregational Minister, Joseph Lucas JP. When his wife died in 1904 he endowed a memorial hall to the village. The 1910 25'' Ordnance Survey map shows the main entrance with a porch only.

In 1920 Joseph Lucas sold the property to Eugene Philip Oakshott whose father of the same name had built up the department store Spencer and Co in Madras. The 1931 fourth Edition Ordnance Survey map shows a porte-cochere added by this date and an extension added to the north-east.

Following Oakshott's death the house and estate were offered at auction by Knight, Frank and Rutley in 1935, described as a 'modern' house with two halls, three reception rooms, a billiard room, 17 bed and dressing rooms, four bathrooms and several offices, with pleasure grounds including tennis courts, bowling green and a 'prolific orchard'.

It was sold privately to the Xaverian Brothers in December 1935 and run as a preparatory boarding school for Mayfield College.

In 1979 the school closed and Foxhunt Manor was purchased by the Order of the Visitation and became a convent. In 1964 a chapel, cloisters and refectory were attached to the north by the firm of J H Alleyn and Associates.

The Order of the Visitation recently moved from the main house into former stables on the estate.

Reasons for Listing

Foxhunt Manor, a Jacobean style brick country house of 1898-1899, thought to have been designed by Frederick Reeves a land agent, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* for its impressive, little altered exterior, which also includes a late C19 cast iron and glazed conservatory;
* for its fine quality interior fittings to the principal rooms including oak joinery and stained glass.

Historical interest:

* social historical interest as an example of wealth derived from trade building a country house and its estate buildings.

Group value:

* Foxhunt Manor is part of a group of contemporary buildings all built in matching style for the estate.

External Links

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