The Box Hill Inn is a heritage-listed

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

located at 753

Windsor Road Windsor Road is a notable road in the Hills District of Sydney. It starts from Windsor, New South Wales and ends at Northmead, New South Wales. However, Windsor Road is not continuous. The northern section of Windsor Road (Windsor to Kellyvil ...

, Box Hill in

The Hills Shire The Hills Shire (from 1906–2008 as Baulkham Hills Shire) is a local government area in the Greater Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The suburb is north-west of the Sydney central business district, and encompasses stre ...

local government area of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. It is also known as Mogul Stud, Rummery Homestead, Coach House Inn and Bee Hive Inn. The property is privately owned and was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 2 April 1999.

History

Two-storey brick inn with a two-roomed attic reached by a narrow Old Colonial Georgian stairway in the rear room. It is said to have been built in 1825 by the Rummery family who were orchardists in Riverstone as the Coach House Inn.National Trust of NSW. It was first licensed as the Box Hill Inn in 1842, and later changed to the Bee Hive Inn in 1848. Licenses were held by pioneers such as Joseph Suffolk, John Foley, Robert Smith and John Barnett.Heritage Council report, 27 June 1989. Has remained vacant for many years.1989 branch work sheet.

Description

Two storey brick inn with a two roomed attic reached by a narrow Georgian stairway in the rear room. It is said to have been built in 1825. The front

veranda A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure. Although the form ''vera ...

has octagonal timber posts with beaded-edge wide timber ceiling linings. There are two front doors, one of six panels with a four-pane fanlight over and the other of eight panels and no fanlight. Windows are 12-paned with solid timber shutters. The front wall is stuccoed and tuck pointed to represent

Flemish bond Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called ''courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by siz ...

brickwork. Internally there are six panel and vertically boarded doors. Architraves have been removed, but one mantelpiece remains on site. Walls and ceilings are of plaster. The ceilings are a lime and mud mortar pressed into laths. There is a cellar under one room at the end and a separate brick kitchen wing that appear to have been built in the

late Victorian Victorian architecture is a series of architectural revival styles in the mid-to-late 19th century. ''Victorian'' refers to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901), called the Victorian era, during which period the styles known as Victorian we ...

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...

periods. A timber-framed gabled roof with detailing typical of the early twentieth century links the two brick structures The

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

roof is clad with corrugated steel. The end wall has been demolished and a new footing poured. The rebuilding of this wall was stopped by Baulkham Hills Shire Council who required a development application and concurrence of the NSW Heritage Council. Neat little early cottage, from , with the roof line sweeping down to a low profile over the front veranda. Several fruit trees remain - quince, citrus. A timber-framed shed stands to the rear in poor condition. Three wells lie to the rear and north of the house, two of them are unusually wide. Much of the Georgian character still remains with the Coach House at the rear.

Condition

As at 4 May 2007, the general condition was fair.

Modifications and dates

Unsympathetic alterations carried out some years ago, but would be easy to restore the facade (). The eastern end wall has been demolished and a new reinforced concrete footing poured. The rebuilding of this wall was stopped by Baulkham Hills Shire Council who required a development application and concurrence of the NSW Heritage Council. Owners propose restoration, with reconstruction of eastern wall on new footings as it was in danger of imminent collapse. Original bricks and a reproduction of the original windows are to be used. As a second stage the owners propose to renovate the roof as it is in very poor condition.

Heritage listing

As at 4 May 2007, the former Box Hill Inn or the Rummery Homestead is considered to be an item of the state's environmental heritage because of its: *Historical value - it was built in 1825 and as such is a rarity in New South Wales. It is one of the earliest roadside inns and one of the few still remaining on the route between

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

and

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

; *Cultural significance - the inn is a reminder of how distance played a significant role in the settlement of the state; and *Architectural significance - the inn is an example of a vernacular building whose use changed as demand required. Box Hill Inn was listed on the

on 2 April 1999.

References

Bibliography

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Attribution

{{NSW-SHR-CC, name=Box Hill Inn, dno=5045741, id=00724, year=2018, accessdate=2 June 2018 New South Wales State Heritage Register Pubs in New South Wales Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register 1825 establishments in Australia Buildings and structures completed in 1825 Georgian architecture in Australia Victorian architecture in Sydney Federation style architecture