Dovecote Chimneys, Church Rd, Walpole St Peter, Wisbech PE14 7NS
Posted by: greysman
N 52° 43.733 E 000° 13.336
31U E 312439 N 5845731
Octagonal stacks on tall flues on a late C16th farmhouse.
Waymark Code: WMXVHT
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/02/2018
Views: 1
Dovecote [farmhouse] is of late C16th build restored in c1930 and now Grade II listed. Built of brick with pantiled roofs in at least two phases. Now of an 'F' plan with the twin cross wings now infilled, and of two storeys. The south front, to the right as seen from the road, is on a plinth course has two two-light cross casements to the ground floor with leaded lights and three similar casements to the first floor. There is a set-off between the builds, and a gabled roof with ridge stack left of centre. The plinth right-most part square, the left part square-stepped carries four octagonal flues with moulded capitals and bases. To the west a projecting gabled cross wing has the gable head on kneelers. Under the gable is a five-light leaded cross casement to the ground floor and one two-light cross casement to the first floor. Behind is an east return to the south range with more lights and a four-centred door within square timber surround. The west facade is of two storeys in three bays with central four-centred restored door in a doorcase of two orders shafts with deeply moulded arch. Above this a square hood mould on labels raised in the centre to accommodate a plaque. Fenestration of two-light cross casements as before. This wing also has a gabled roof with an internal north gable stack of square plinth carrying two octagonal flues of similar design to the others.
Determining which of the south wing stacks is the older is not straightforward. The right-hand portion is presumably of the same age as that at the north end of the west wing as they are of the same design. The left-hand portion looks much older and as if it was originally a gable-end stack. There is also an obvious junction in the bricks on the south face of the east wing, almost in line with the right face of the square stack. Maybe someone out there can solve the mystery?
Words variously from British Listed Buildings, and Pevsner's Norfolk Buildings, amended and added to with own on-site observations.
The co-ordinates are for the gate from Church Road.