Brambledean, Broadoak (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, April 13, 2013, 16:47 (4244 days ago) @ slowhands

Thanks for the photos Slowhands, well found and very helpfull !
I suspect the original Broakoak House as per your second photo (which is clearly Georgian period & home to affluent people) was built first, with a perhaps later Victorian extension to it's rear albeit and deliberately matching height and red brick, maybe for the staff & workers accommodation. This House is the 200+ year old property the Estate Agents alluded to.

Re Brambledean itself, as the first photo shows this looks to me to be a later addition. Clearly the paint obscures the original stone/brickwork so cannot tell if it matches the red brick of the "main" Broadoak House and the midterrace building. However the slate roof, different chimney and slightly "arched" windows all suggest a Victorian brick-built house to me. I wonder if this replaced the different shaped "wing" shown on the 1884 map, perhaps this wing was in the way of later road widening, or was it coachhouse/stables which were no longer needed ?. I wonder if this Victorian addition was originally two "2up/2down" cottages which were modernised again maybe 1970s and knocked-thro into it's present 4 bedroom layout; but then again the chimney suggests it was always a larger cottage so ?.

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Slowhands, are you saying the 1881 Census info for the Parker family relates to Broadoak House itself ? If it does then they seem a little short of staff ? Perhaps their other staff were listed separately such as living in the Brambledean part of the "terrace", or elsewhere locally of course, or were they in hard times ?.

Interesting stuff this, I can feel a short detour coming on the next time I drive to the Forest.