The Burystead

Details

TL 4378 SUTTON BURY LANE (South west side) 16/30 The Burystead 5.2.52 GV I

House. Incorporates late C13 - early C14 chapel of former monastic grange, south wing built in 1742. Chapel. Rubble and fieldstone walls with original Barnack limestone dressings. The walls have been cement rendered except for some of the dressings. The plinth is not visible. Roof rebuilt C17, plain tiled, but retaining C13-C14 parapet gable ends on original kneelers of moulded stone. The west gable has the base of a gable cross. Chimney stack inserted towards the west end of the chapel, and another at the east gable end. Both of red brick, with that at the east gable rebuilt above the ridge and that at the west having a moulded brick string. The chapel with the wing on the south side form an L-plan. The chapel has an undercroft and an attic storey was inserted in post medieval period. The north west, north east and south east corners each have two stage diagonal buttressing with Barnack limestone dressings and original gable offsets with stone coping to the first stage. At west end a three-light C13 window now blocked, with intersecting tracery in two centred arch. At ground floor a small quatrefoil window now internal to the undercroft is probably original. The north wall has two original first floor windows. Externally both have original dressed limestone surrounds in two centred arches. The one to the west has had the tracery replaced externally. The one to the east has two cinquefoil lights in two centred arch with dagger tracery to the spandrel. There are three windows to the undercroft on the north side. They are all post medieval but may be on the site of original openings. The centre of the east gable end was rebuilt in red brick when the stack was inserted. The south wall has two windows to the chapel. One to the west is blocked and is only visible internally. That to the east has original surround and a square head externally. The undercroft has a modern doorway opening in arched head with rendered surround. In the medieval period there was a domestic wing on the south side of the chapel. Its site is now occupied by the wing built in 1742. Red brick, Flemish bond, with plain tiled roof and tumbled south end parapets on kneelers. Ridge and end stack. Two storeys and attic. Three modern dormers. East elevation has symmetrical facade of five first floor recessed twelve pane hung sashes. Central doorway in round headed arch with panelled door and lobed glazing bars to the fanlight. Dated brick to front wall. Interior: The chapel undercroft has a deeply chamfered main beam which is possibly contemporary with the inserted brickwork of the stack. There is no evidence of vaulting. The original access to the chapel is not certain. It is believed to have been by a newel staircase in the south west corner. No evidence of a medieval staircase remains. However at first floor in the south west corner there is the early C18 balustrade of a landing which possibly confirms this theory. This balustrade has a square newel, toads back rail and column balusters. In the south wall at the east end is the double piscina. Each bay has trefoil cusping to ogee arch in two centred arch. Mask head to spandrel. Two octofoil drains. Two windows in south wall. One to the east has chamfered rear arch but no tracery. The one to the west has a deeper splay similar to that of the windows to the north and west wall in chamfered two centred arch. Two trefoil lights in two centred arch with geometric tracery of a quatrefoil in a circle to the spandrel. The walls between the chapel and the 1742 wing at first floor has been partially removed. The east wall of the chapel has part of a fragment of moulded stone possibly of a figure. The upper part is reset. It may form part of a reredos. In the north wall the deeply splayed and two centred chamfered arch of both windows is visible. The tracery of that to the west is visible from the interior. Two lights in two centred arch with Y-tracery. In the attic the heads of the arches of the windows in the north wall and the blocked west window can be seen. The side purlin roof has paired wind bracing. One tie beam is hollow and roll moulded and may have been reused from the original roof. The 1742 wing has a six flight closed string staircase of 1742. Square newels with toads back rail and column-on-vase balusters. Burystead Manor was given to the prior and convent of Ely after the Danish invasions. After the Dissolution in 1541 it was transferred to the Dean and Chapter. It is now owned by their successors the Church Commissioners. During the C14 it was kept in hand by the prior and convent. Other than the various estates round Ely it was considered the most valuable part of their property. In the early C18 it was leased to the Ward family who may have built the 1742 south wing.

Pevsner: Buildings of England p464 VCH: Cambs Vol IV p161

Listing NGR: TL4331678933

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

49559

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Salzman, L F, The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, (1953), 161
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Cambridgeshire, (1954), 464

End of official list entry

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