Listed Buildings in Litcham

Description: House. 1781 on rainwater hoppers with initials N.R. (Nicolas Raven). Reduced on 1845. Brick with stone and stucco dressing. Formally U plan but only main block remains. Two storeys with attics and cellar. Formerly of three storeys with only advanced centre bay standing to full height. Five bays of sash windows with glazing bars beneath skewback arches. Stone platbands connect windowsills. Front door aedicule of 1845 in stucco with arched entrance flanked by arched margin lights supported on pillasers and surmounted by cornice and broken pediment. 1845 moulded cornice with an unusual tripglyph-derived motif. Rising centre bay with bullseye window and broken pediment. Staircase with opening string, square sectioned balusters and swept mahogany handrail.

A Brief History: The Hall was built by Nicolas Raven of Harpley, in 1781. The original late Georgian building was considerably larger, having another storey and two wings which extended almost to the site of the present road. Nicolas Raven was succeeded by his cousin, Peter Raven, who was the Village doctor for many years. His son, and grandson, were both doctors in Litcham, and it is not surprising that the house became familiarly know as Pill Hall. To this day, descendants of the Raven family still call to see the house, any many of them are doctors too, continuing the family tradition. The present appearance of the Hall date from 1854, when it was considerably altered. The surgery remained in the left wing and some of the shelving in the dispensary has survived to this day.
Henry Keppel, Esq., who came from the celebrated naval family, purchased the Hall from the Raven family at the beginning of the 20th century. He was considered too small for the Royal Navy, weighing less than 7 stones at the age of 13; but still determined to go to sea, he joined the Merchant Navy and apparently he never lost his head for heights for it is said that even at the advanced age of 88, Mr. Keppel climbed up to inspect some repairs on the roof, “because Rallinson cannot manage it.” Rallinson, his faithful factotum, was actually five years his junior; and apart from a single night, the old servant had never slept away from Litcham in his life. Mr. Keppel died in 1938, in his 90th year; his younger daughter, Mabel, lived at the Hall until she died in1967, when it was purchased by Mr. Birkbeck.
The Tulip Tree in the front garden is considered to be one of the oldest and finest in the country.

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