Building record 1320801000 - STEPS HOUSE, HIGH STREET

Grade II+. Unusual early C18 house. Colour washed brick plinth and ground floor with large coved plaster cornice; yellow brick 1st floor with red brick quoins and dressings. 2 storeys and attics, 4 double hung sashes in flush moulded wooden frames, ground floor fielded panelled shutters, 1st floor segmental arches. 6 red brick steps with plain wrought iron railing up either side of central 6 fielded panelled door with 2 light rectangular fanlight; surround of fluted Roman Doric pilasters carrying frieze and cornice. Coved ground floor cornice breaks forward slightly over doorway and carries a wrought iron lamp bracket and octagonal lamp. Central 1st floor dummy window, hipped old tiled roof with dentil and moulded red brick cornice. Dormer to west return elevation. VCH., III, p135 (B1).

Steps House was listed in 1954 as ' The Manor House'. The original Manor House was purchased by the Dashwoods in 1698 and rebuilt a decade later. The resemblance of the current building and that of the old Manor House shown on a map of the village of 1968 is noticable. It is possible that Steps House was intended to resemble the lost Manor House (B2).

There are currently dormers in the east and west facing slopes of the roof, and one in the west facing return between the wings to the rear of the property. The rafters are bridle-jointed at the apex and some pairs are also pegged. There is no ridge piece in any of the roofs. A single purlin supports the rafters. The principal rafters of the southern block have empty mortices following the removal of the original collar. The wall plates are laid directly onto the brick walls and abut the hip, valley or principal rafters. A few rafters display partial importer's marks. The grooves appear to have part of a Roman numeral style of marking (B2).