Broughton, Hampshire
Architecture of the older Houses
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| In the style
of houses, Broughton is a classic Hampshire village. What is most
eye-catching are the thatched, timbered cottages of the 15th-17th
centuries, and the 18th century houses in painted or plain red brick.
However, a variety of detail from the 15th to the 20th century is
represented, as a result of inevitable changes to buildings through the
centuries. In the case of timbered houses they have often had later infill with brick, although this is very often disguised by white paint. Brick became common during the 17th century, and casement windows (hinged at the side) were replaced by sash windows (sliding up and down) towards the end of that century. Casements reappeared in the 19th and 20th centuries. Generally speaking, casement windows on an old house indicates an origin earlier than 1700, unless the house is obviously Victorian or modern. Some of the houses in Broughton have a mixture of the two types of windows, indicating an older building than the 18th century suggested by the sash windows. The manner of laying bricks also changed with time. The earliest is usually English Bond consisting of alternating rows of stretchers only (long side showing) and headers only (short side showing). This had largely been superseded in the later 17th century by Flemish Bond, which alternated headers and stretchers in every row, reversing these in the row above. Flemish Bond is what is commonly used in 18th century houses, although often disguised by paint except when looked at closely. Also common in Broughton is Sussex Bond, or Flemish Garden-Wall Bond, in which every course consists of three stretchers between a pair of headers. But this is often disrupted by more random laying of headers and stretchers. Example here. A few houses have all headers, sometimes using so-called blue bricks (more grey than blue). Blue bricks are also sometimes used in Flemish for the headers whilst retaining red for the stretchers, enhancing the effect of the brick pattern. From Victorian times onwards, Stretcher Bond with no headers has been almost universal. Roofs in Broughton are thatch, tile and slate. Pictures below: The village contains a Methodist Chapel, now a private dwelling, built in 1910 in Gothic style. The Baptist Chapel was built originally in 1816, but its current appearance dates from major alterations in 1926. It is in a 17th century Gothic-cum-Classical style reflecting the date of the start of the Baptist faith in Broughton in1655. The well house dates from 1926. Broughton did not have mains water until 1959. |
