Denton's Buildings

The purpose of this page is to provide information about the history of some of the more significant buildings in Denton. Some of the information has been obtained from the Denton Ledger assembled during the 2000 Millenium celebrations in the village, some from a variety of other sources.

There are currently 34 Listed Buildings in the village. These are marked "LB" followed by an IoE reference number in the entries below. It is sometimes difficult to understand why some properties are listed and others in the village are not. Further information and in many cases photograhs can be found at the Images of England website.

Another valuable source is the Norfolk Heritage Explorer Website, where further information about the buildings identified with an "*" can be found.

The buildings are listed in road order. In some cases the names used for listing purposes have since been changed by their owners. Current names are provided in brackets.

NB Some of the entries are still incomplete but will be expanded in due course.

Chapel Corner

The Chapel*
LB 225212

Denton's United Reformed Chapel dates back to 1658 when a "wandering preacher" arrived in the village. It was the first non-conformist establishment in the area and many nearby chapels, including those in Bungay and Harleston were "offspring" of the mother chapel in Denton. The current building replaces a former structure and dates from 1821.

It is described as "very fine" and "of the meeting house type". It takes the form of a red brick rectangular block with a low pitched hipped slate roof. With two storeys, the south front incorporates two doorways with porches supported by slender columns.

The interior still has the original box pews with a gallery on 3 sides supported on slim iron columns.

The vestry at the rear is now used to house the Village Post Office on Thursday mornings.

Details of the War Memorial, which also covers Alburgh men, can be found elsewhere in the History Section.

Chapel Cottage (Now The Old Post Office)*
LB 225210
A 16th century two storeyed timber framed house with a screens passage plan partly burnt down about 1860 and replaced with brick building.
Formerly linked to the village shop to the south but this was converted to a residence when the shop closed in the 1980s.

Chapelfields

A row of nineteen detached and semi-detached bungalows on Norwich Road built in the 1970s.

Chapel Hill

Chapel Farmhouse
Early 20th c. brick house with an early form cavity wall construction and a modern extension.

Chapel Hill Farmhouse
LB 225213
17/18th c. timber-frame house, plastered.

Church Hill

Denton House*
The house dates back to the 18th c. but has been much altered. Its staircase is "reputed" to have come from Leeds Castle, Kent.
It is the only non-ecclesiastical property in the village that gets a mention in the Norfolk volume of Pesvner's "Buildings of England". This is due not the house itself but to the Grotto in the garden. Built mainly of flint with pointed arches it bears the date of 1770 above its entrance. The walls inside are decorated with shells, reputedly brought back from Captain Cook's voyage to New Zealand in the Endeavour in 1771. A sham ruin structure, also listed, which reuses a Perpendicular style window from a church stands nearby.
Grotto LB 225218
Sham Ruin LB 225219

The house was used as a convalscent home for injured servicemen during the second world war. Noted former owners include: Gervase Steele, solicitor and local district councillor, who founded the now Norfolk-wide firm of solicitors, Steele & Co., and Lady Beecham, widow of the famous conductor, and creator of the Promenade Concerts, Sir Thomas Beecham.

Danacre Road

Denton Lodge
LB 225222
An 18th c. house in colour-washed brick and a black glazed pantile roof.
Its stable block is listed separately as LB 225223.

St Mary's Church*
LB 225220

The church includes the remains of a Norman round tower so was certainly there in the 12th century but probably has older, Saxon, origins.

Most of the building is later, 14th century, and the current mainly brick-built tower replaced most of its round predecessor following a collapse in the 16th centry.

It is one of 185 round tower churches in England (126 in Norfolk) recognised by the Round Tower Society.

Two of the most notable features are:

The church is flint built with stone dressings and slate roofs. The chancel is late 13th c. with a 5-light east window with intersecting tracery. The north and south chancel windows have Y-tracery.

The north and south aisles are Perpendicular in style with Decorated east and west windows. There are two clerestory windows on each side with quatrefoil square openings.

All the glass in the church is fully described on the Norfolk Stained Glass website.

Details of the War Memorial, located inside the church on the south wall, can be found in the History Section.

List of Rectors: to follow.

The Rectory
LB 225221
Large late 18th c. brick house, colour-washed.

The house is now a private dwelling; the Rector lives in Earsham.

Rectory Cottage
This building was constructed as the stable block for the rectory (and is thus presumably of a similar age) but has now been imaginatively converted into a substantial residence.

Darrow Green Road

Mill House
It is unclear where the owner of the nearby mill actually lived. An architect has suggested that this house was originally probably two cottages with a central uncovered walkway. The cottages could have been used by journeymen millers.
Information on the former windmill is provided on another page.

Mill Farm
Details: to follow.

Mutts Farm
LB 225226
17th c. timber-frame house, plastered.

Ivy Farmhouse
LB 225216
17th c. timber-frame house encased in brick (painted) in 19th c.

Pear Tree Farmhouse*
LB 225215
A rendered timber framed house which began life as a medieval two cell raised aisled hall, but was significantly changed around 1600 when it was converted into a three cell two storey house. During restoration in the 1970s a hoard of Elizabeth I sixpences was found in the roof.

Darrow Green Farmhouse
LB 225214
17th c. timber-frame house, encased in brick.

Darrow Farm
Details: to follow.

Globe Close

A group of six bungalows and two semi-detached houses on Norwich Road built by Depwade RDC in 1952.

Low Road

Until by-passed by the new road built on the old railway line in the 1980's, this was the main road from Bury St Edmunds to Great Yarmouth, the A143.

The Round House
This building, on the old Yarmouth Road, gives every appearance of being a turnpike toll-house. However the Yarmouth to Bury Road was never turned into a turnpike so the building can never have been used for this purpose.

Low Farmhouse
LB 225242
Probably 17th c., faced in red brick in 18th and 19th c.

Manor Farm Road

Manor Farmhouse
LB 225227
17th c. timber-frame house, faced in red brick in 19th c.

Manor Farm Cottage (Now Meadow Cottage)
LB 225229
17th/18th c. timber-frame cottage, plastered.

Walnut Tree Farmhouse
LB 225228
Small 17th c. timber-frame house fronted in red brick in 19th c.

Middle Road

Grove Farmhouse (Now Kingsland Farm)
LB 225230
18th c. house, brick, former colour-wash removed.

Grove Cottages (Now Grove Cottage)
LB 225231
17/18th c. house divided into 2 cottages and encased in red brick in l9th c. Now re-converted to a single dwelling.

Hall Cottages (Now Hall Farm)
LB 225231
17th c. timber-frame house, divided into 2 dwellings, encased in brick in late 19th c. Now re-converted to a single dwelling.

Lodge Farmhouse (Now East Hall)*
LB 225233
Perhaps the most interesting building in Denton.

A Farmhouse, circa 14th c., located inside a medieval moat. Remodelled in circa late 16th and early-mid 19th cs, extended in late 20th c. when its history was established.

Timber frame, encased and partly rebuilt in painted brick, the latter dated to 1838. The medieval house probably had a classic 3-room and through passage plan with a raised aisle hall, parlour and solar. The raised aisle truss roof is one of only two known in the county. The wonders of dendrochronology have revealed that the timbers for the hall were felled in 1355 to 1360.

Twin Cottage
Details: to follow.

Norwich Road

Wood Farm
Details: to follow.

The Old King's Head*
LB 225225
A timber framed hall house dates to the late to middle 16th century. An upper floor and stack and a three storey parlour end were added in the 17th century. It is now clad in 19th C. red brick with blue brick headers.

Shown as an inn both on Faden's map of 1797 and Bryant's 1826 map. First known owner - the Harleston Brewery, first known licensee - James Buck in 1836. Originally a beerhouse it obtained a full licence by 1932. Closed 1984. Now a private house.

For further details including a list of licencees visit the Norfolk Public Houses website.

Glebe Farmhouse
LB 225224
17th c. timber-frame house fronted in brick in 20th c.

The Village Hall
Based on the original structure erected in 1923 but since extended and modernised to provide a bar and games room.

The garage to the south of the Hall was erected to house the former local Community Bus but is now used for storage. It also acts as the changing-room for DVC productions but a scheme to demolish the building and replace it with a further extension to the Hall would provide more comfortable accommodation.

Globe House
LB 225237
Early 19th c. house. Red brick front and with plastered sides. Recently extended to the rear.

Street Farmouse
LB 225211
18th/early l9th c. red brick house. Recently extension.

Paynes Hill

Paynes Hill Farm
LB 225234
The barn at Paynes Hill Farm is listed separately.
LB 225235
17th c. timber-frame house, faced in red brick in 19th c.

Pockthorpe Lane

Pockthorpe Cottage
LB 225236
17th c. timber-frame cottage, altered in 19th c., and recently modernised with rendered walls.

Round House Hill

Home Farm*
LB 225217
An early 17th century three cell and stack house, two storeys and attic, timber framed, plastered. The later brick south cross wing is dated 1837.

Denton Cottage*
An early 19th century building, with a circular dining room added in the 1930s which is thought to stand on the polygonal base of a former postmill.

Trunch Hill

This includes a row of four pairs of semi-detached houses built by Depwade RDC in 1937.

The Watch House
LB 225209
17th c. timber-frame house encased in red brick in 19th c. Not shown as an inn on either of the 1797 or 1826 maps. A Bullards/Watney Mann house. Not mentioned in Hunt's County Directoryy of 1850 but the first known licensee, Maria Gray, is listed in White's of 1854.

Always a simple beerhouse. Closed 1962. Now a private house.

For further details including a list of licencees visit the Norfolk Public Houses website.

Hill View (Now Sawyers)
LB 225241
17th c. timber-frame house encased in red brick in early 19th c.

Vale Farmhouse
LB 225240
17th c. timber-frame house encased in red brick in 19th c.
Unfortunately the house and the farm buildings are in a poor state of repair and they are on Norfolk County Council's "Buildings at Risk" register.

Beck Farm
Details: to follow.

Beck Cottage
LB 225239
17/18th c. timber-frame cottage, plastered and partly encased in later brick, painted. Formerly a hire centre.

Valley View (Now Trunch House)
LB 225238
17th c. timber-frame house, rendered.

The School
Built, as a National School, in 1840 replacing a primitive school run in the church. Closed in the 1960s when local primary pupils were transferred to the new joint school in Alburgh. Now a private residence.

Upland Terrace

A row of four pairs of semi-detached houses in Norwich Road first built by Depwade RDC in 1938 and extended in 1948.