NHER 1024 (Monument record) - Site of Avenue House, South Green, Dereham

Avenue House, South Green
Formerly Listed Grade II.
Avenue House was a red brick and pantile building of three bays with Dutch gables and a later rear wing. The house consisted of a western (front) half of oldest date and with four building phases, and a newer eastern half of one building phase with later alterations. The western (front) end was of late 16th or early 17th century origins and built of red brick. The house was originally built with six bays. In the 18th century, remodelling works took place which reduced the bays to three and added the present entrance. A southern gable extension was also added in the 18th century but was demolished ahead of 19th century alterations. The latter included construction of the eastern (rear) section of the house. Final alterations including the addition of Dutch Gables took place after the sale of the house in 1937. The site was known under various names throughout its history and included extensive outbuildings and acreage. Mortgage documents show the house passed through several owners in the 18th and 19th centuries before being sold to Mr H. Smith in 1937. Avenue House was purchased by Norfolk County Council in 1960 and was used for Civil Defence and then a Community Centre before being demolished in 1976 ahead of the construction of the East Dereham Bypass.
Information from (S1) and (S2).
E. McDonald (HES), 21 January 2021.

Pre-1973. Listed. Grade II.
This building was included in English Heritage’s list of building of architectural importance. No further details available.
Information from Newspaper Article (S6).
E. McDonald (HES), 21 January 2021.

September 1973. Building Survey.
This building was surveyed by the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments of England.
The western section of the house is built from red brick. The core of this area appears to be a fragment of a much larger building constructed in the late-16th or early-17th century. The house underwent significant alterations in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and the eastern section was remodelled further at a later date. Shaped gables were added in the later 19th century and one gable stack survives in the north room. The western range is now ornamented with later 19th century medallion cornice and a pedimented doorcase. Internally, the main stair is early 19th century and the north room contains a mid-18th century wooden fireplace with patinate frieze.
Information from report (S1).
E. McDonald and H. Hamilton (HES), 21 January 2021.

November 1973. Field Observation.
This building was examined by the Norfolk Archaeological Unit.
No further details are available.
Information from record card (S3).
H. Hamilton (HES), 21 January 2021.

October-November 1975. Building Survey.
P. Tolley of the Norfolk Archaeological Rescue Group undertook a detailed survey of the building prior to demolition, including a photographic record and documentary research.
Detailed examination of the building confirms that the western (front) portion was constructed in the 17th century and had at least four building periods. The eastern (rear) section of the house range) was constructed in the 19th century and had few subsequent alterations.
The western range was originally built with six bays as part of a larger building. Significant remodelling in the 18th century reduced the building to three bays and added an extension to the southern gable. At the same time the original windows were blocked, the present entrance was constructed, and an internal staircase was added. The third building phase took place in the 19th century and saw the extension demolished and the southern and western faces of the house rendered. The final phase included the addition of ‘Dutch Gables’ and the addition of pantiles and shutters to the front of the house. The rendering added in the 19th century was removed.
The eastern (rear) section of the house was constructed in the mid-19th century from Flemish bond brick and required the demolition of the existing southern extension. The interior was remodelled at this time with new fireplaces and chimneys. The eastern half was modified further in the final 20th century building phase with changes to the roof and the replacement of windows. At the rear of the house a 19th century conservatory was replaced with a loggia.
The earliest documentary evidence for the house is a mortgage of 1716 which describes the land and its acreages and references outbuildings, gardens, and orchards. The house was known as Wagstafe and was owned by a William Hawys of Wymondham. Around a century later in an Indentures of Lease and Release from 1827 (S8) the house was known as the Manor of East Dereham. The document states John Page left the house to Samuel Daynes Page and Wright Wigg the Elder and Younger in a will. The will of an unknown Wright Wigg from 1855 (S7) describes the premises as ‘Messuage or Dwelling House at South Green’ which includes yards, gardens, lawns and pasture ground. Finally, a Sale Catalogue of 1937 gives various internal details of The Avenue Estate, as it was then known. The ground floor contained two dining rooms, a breakfast room, smoke room, kitchen, scullery and storage facilities. The first and second floors contained 6 bedrooms, bathrooms, and a box room. Externally the grounds included a tennis court, greenhouses and a variety of outbuildings. The house was purchased by a Mr. H. Smith who carried out the fourth phase of building works.
In 1960 the site was purchased by Norfolk County Council for Civil Defence use. It was later used as a Community Centre, before being demolished in 1976 to clear the path of the East Dereham Bypass.
Information from report (S2). See (S8) and (S9) for further details.
See also architectural plans (S4) and photographs (S5) and (S7).
E. McDonald and H. Hamilton (HES), 21 January 2021.

Post-1976. Demolition and removal from List.
This building was demolished to build the East Dereham Bypass and was subsequently Delisted. No further details available at this time.
E. McDonald (HES), 21 January 2021.