History

A timber-framed medieval hall-house with 2-bay hall flanked by inner and outer rooms. The 3 internal pairs of crucks are retained and the 2 bays of the hall are of dissimilar size. The screen in the hall has been dendro-chronologically dated to after 1510. In the C17, the house was remodelled: a chimney was inserted into the centre of the hall along with a lobby-entrance to the E, and the roof-space was ceiled. The box-panelling to the L part of the front wall appears to have been rebuilt in the C17. The lintel over the entrance bears a date of 1713 and the possible initials JBI. This may indicate a marriage, as there are also scratched birthdates of 1714-28 on the dais-partition truss. In the C19 the current front (W) wall and gable end walls were rebuilt in stone. Further additions and alterations occurred in the mid-late C20. In c2000, a gabled projection was built for an entrance and staircase on the W side, along with a large L-shaped timber-framed extension at the N end.

Exterior

The original front is to the E and is constructed of box-panelled timber-framing on a stone plinth. The panelling is 2-and-a-half tiers high, that to the R of and including the doorway probably medieval. That to the L is later, the panelling aligned differently, and it was disturbed by the insertion of a large window. A cruck blade projects towards the L. The house has an old slate roof, the chimney rebuilt in blue brick. Lobby-entrance to R of centre with boarded door. The windows are wooden small-pane casements, probably late C20. There are 2 x 2-light casements to the L of the entrance and a single light to far L; 2 small windows to R of entrance. The upper storey has 4 timber-framed gabled dormers with 2-light wooden small-pane casements. The S gable end and W side were rebuilt in large blocks of random stone. The W side, from R, has 3 x 2-light wooden casements; skylight to roof pitch. To their L is the late C20 gabled stone projection which has a similar window to each storey, 1 window to the R-return, and a doorway to L return. To the far L is a 4-light wooden small-pane casement window, in front of which is a wooden lean-to conservatory on a stone plinth. Adjoining to the L is the long extension of c2000.

Interior

The gabled projection of c2000 is the current entrance, inside which is a timber staircase to R and doorway leading into hall to L. The hall has a fine post-and-panel screen to the dais end; it includes 2 doorways with shallow triangular heads, the early boarded doors with latches. The C17 stone fireplace opposite has a large timber lintel with shallow chamfer, and a bakeoven and possible money box on its L side. The contemporary ceiling has 2 spine beams with ogee stops, supported on late C20 timber corbels. The room has a fine pitched floor with square and circle design, the stones re-set. The E wall is unplastered, with exposed box-panelling. Leading L from the entrance is the former N bay of the hall, also with an inserted ceiling with 2 ogee-stopped spine beams, and a small fireplace with cambered timber lintel. The former passage partition was aligned with the front of the inserted fireplace, so the lower part of this partition is now lost.

To the 1st floor, the cruck trusses are exposed and there are 3 rows of purlins. C17 box-framed passage along W wall with rooms leading off. The central hall truss, now above the fireplace, has an arched-brace with 4-centred soffit, and fine cusped decoration to the apex, roughly in the form of an inverted trefoil. At the dais end, the canopy is jettied in front of the post-and-panel screen and retains some wattle and daub infill; there is no hood. To the N end is the bathroom, some of the pegs in the truss unsawn. The outer cruck trusses have collars.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* as a medieval cruck-framed hall-house which retains exceptional internal features including the ornate central hall truss and the dais canopy, notwithstanding alteration to the exterior.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17742987

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)