Building record MDO43444 - Old Beech House, Marnhull

A detached house of two main phases, mid- or late 17th century and early 19th century, with some 20th century alterations and additions. The house is constructed of coursed stone rubble with a pitched roof clad in pantiles. There are chimneystacks to the end gables as well as an off-centre ridge stack; all of brick. Most of the fenestration was replaced with uPVC in the late 20th century, although several openings to the front (north) elevation retain timber casements. The building is T-shaped on plan comprising a single depth, principal range of two phases, and a large, late-20th century addition to the rear. An out shut has been built against the east gable wall, and this has been extended in the 20th century with a garage addition. To the rear of the house, is an outbuilding which was originally detached, but which is now linked to the out shut. It appears to have been stables with a hayloft above. The building was assessed for listing in 2010 but failed to meet the required criteria.

Old Beech House stands within a large, rectangular plot and appears to be of at least two distinct phases. The earliest part dates from the mid-/late 17th century and comprises a single-depth range of three bays. During the early 19th century, the house was enlarged with an addition to the east. At the same time the roof was raised, and the timbers replaced, and the interior was extensively refurbished. The first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1887 shows a narrow, rectangular building aligned west-east. Although the building is currently a single dwelling, it is possible that it was once two cottages. In the late 20th century, a large, two-storey extension was added to the rear elevation.

At the south-east corner of the garden, and built into the boundary wall, is a recess which is known locally as the Soldier's Arch. It is said to have been built during the First World War by soldiers who were billeted in the village to provide a sheltered area to sit within the garden. It is understood that a dedication plaque to this effect has disintegrated.

A detached house of two main phases, mid- or late 17th century and early 19th century, with some 20th century alterations and additions. The house is constructed of coursed stone rubble with a pitched roof clad in pantiles. There are chimneystacks to the end gables as well as an off-centre ridge stack; all of brick. Most of the fenestration was replaced with uPVC in the late 20th century, although several openings to the front (north) elevation retain timber casements. The building is T-shaped on plan comprising a single depth, principal range of two phases, and a large, late-20th century addition to the rear. An outshut has been built against the east gable wall, and this has been extended in the 20th century with a garage addition. To the rear of the house, is an outbuilding which was originally detached, but which is now linked to the outshut. It appears to have been stables with a hayloft above.

EXTERIOR: The entrance front is of two-storeys. There are two entrances, and the principal doorway is central to the earlier, right-hand part of the house and has a Victorian timber canopy hood supported on timber console brackets. The doorway to the early-19th century, left-hand addition is blocked. Each doorway is flanked by two-light windows with timber lintels, and there are four windows to the first floor. The rear (south) elevation is dominated by a large, two-storey extension of the late-20th century, and most of the windows to this elevation of the principal range have been replaced with uPVC.

INTERIOR: The front door leads into a dog-leg hallway with the staircase to the left and a large, blocked fireplace beyond. The right-hand principal room has slender ceiling beams, panelled window shutters and an early-19th century display cupboard; the fireplace has been renewed. The left-hand room, in the early-19th century addition has a deep chamfered ceiling beam with step stops which appears to have been re-sited from elsewhere in the building, and a mid-19th century fireplace with moulded, timber surround. An opening through the former rear wall of the building leads through to a ground-floor room in the late-20th century addition. The staircase dates from the 20th century. The first-floor landing and right-hand bedroom retain ceiling beams with rounded step stops, and there is a corner fireplace in the bedroom. The left-hand room has beams of varying sizes. The door furniture to the first-floor dates from the late 20th century. The roof throughout the building is of one phase, probably early 19th century, and consists of collared trusses and a single row of purlins.

To the rear of the house is a large garden which is bounded along its east side by a wall constructed of local roughly coursed stone rubble, with copings of both stone and pantiles. The wall is of several phases and has been repaired and re-pointed in places which detracts from its character. At the southern end of the wall is an arched recess with a rendered interior. There are stone buttresses set at regular intervals on the outside (east) face of the wall. It is known locally as the Soldier's Arch. Incorporated into the north end of the wall is a one and a half outbuilding that is constructed of coursed stone rubble with a plain tile roof. The ground-floor retains a 19th century plank and batten door; the upper storey was not inspected.

The Principles of Selection for Listing Buildings (March 2010), states that buildings dating from before 1840 and surviving in close to their original condition are generally good candidates for listing. The general principles used are that before 1700, all buildings that contain a significant proportion of their original fabric are listed; from 1700 to 1840, most buildings are listed; and after 1840, because of the greatly increased number of buildings erected and the much larger numbers that have survived, progressively greater selection is necessary. The English Heritage Selection Guide for Domestic Buildings 1 (Vernacular) (2007) gives further guidance on the selection of dwellings for designation: vernacular buildings in particular need to show evidence of their building history in the retention of their plan form, fabric, construction and decorative detail, and show a good degree of intactness.

Old Beech House appears to have been constructed as a three-bay house of two-storeys and attic in the mid- or late-17th century. The house had large chimney breasts which are still in situ at either end of the building. The bressummer beams and inglenook fireplaces have been removed and the left-hand (west) chimney breast has been rebuilt to create a smaller opening consistent with 19th century taste; the right-hand one has been blocked. It seems likely that there was a winder stair adjacent to the east chimney breast, though this has been replaced with a straightened flight of stairs in the 20th century. The ground and first-floor rooms appear to have ceiling beams in their original positions, but those to the former are either boxed in or are later replacements. The roof structure appears to have been entirely renewed in the early-19th century. All the joinery in this section of the building dates from the 19th century and later. Overall, therefore, apart from the evidence of the original massive fireplaces and some ceiling beams, there is little remaining in the building to express its earliest phase.

The early-19th century remodelling of the 17th century building was thorough, and the new addition to the east gable wall considerably increased the footprint and the volume of the house. It is the case that the internal character of the building as it currently stands is mostly 19th century in style. A number of interior features from this period survive within the building, including a single pair of shutters, display cupboard and several fireplaces with contemporary surrounds. This phase of the house is relatively complete, and is therefore of some interest, but the decorative elements are generally simple and plain, and are not of the best quality. The 20th century phase of the building has done little to enhance the existing structure; the large two-storey extension and uPVC windows to most of the rear openings, and some with concrete lintels, have altered the character of this elevation.

The level of alteration since the 17th century has rendered much of the layout of the earlier house illegible. The internal plan has a rather awkward arrangement and circulation, particularly where the main entrance gives access to a dog-leg hallway, suggesting that there has been some reordering in this area of the house. The presence of a re-sited deep, chamfered beam of 17th century date in the 19th century addition, and the shallow beams in the ground-floor principal room in the earlier part of the house provides further evidence that the interior has undergone some significant remodelling. The earlier phase of the building does not therefore survive well enough to merit listing as a mid- or late-17th century building. It is also the case that the 19th century phase of the building is not of sufficient quality and intactness to be of special architectural interest in the national context.

One response to the consultation on the initial report suggested that the house was originally two cottages which was converted to a single dwelling in 1962. Evidence within the building, however, does indicate that Old Beech House was constructed as a single dwelling. This was extended by the addition to the east in the early 19th century and was subsequently converted into two cottages; although when it was sub-divided cannot be determined, it probably occurred in the second half of the 19th century.

Although Old Beech House is of some interest as a vernacular building that was aggrandised in the early 19th century, this remodelling has itself affected the plan form and the intactness of the various elements of the building. Notwithstanding its 17th century origins and the survival of some internal features of this date and of the early-19th century, the building does not demonstrate sufficient architectural interest to make it of special interest in the national context. Despite this, it must be acknowledged that the house has some local interest for its frontage and for the survival of some good early-19th century fixtures and fittings, in particular several fireplaces and some joinery.
Boundary walls survive in large numbers; hence greater selection is necessary to identify the best examples. Considerable claims to architectural interest, completeness and associations with other listed structures or known historical association would be expected for the listing of a wall to be warranted. The rear boundary wall to Old Beech House is a substantial structure of traditional construction and local materials. Although it has context with the house, it is utilitarian, and the variable nature of the wall detracts from any architectural interest it may have. It, therefore, has neither the historic integrity nor the architectural quality to merit designation. <1>

<1> English Heritage, English Heritage Listing File, 170455 (Scheduling record). SDO17502.

508588/001

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1524574 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 11:56AM