History

C15 with major additions of C16 to C19; extensive restoration by M J Garner during 1970's. Timber-framed house with much of the lower walls rebuilt in rubble stone at various periods. L-plan with 2 cross-wings set across the main E-W axis. To the far west is square-panel timber-framed bay with basement of probable late C17 date which adjoins the lower end of the original cruck-framed hall house. Square-panel wall framing of the latter survives in part. On the south front are 2 timber dormers, that to the right partially obscured by a later rubble lean-to. The upper hall bays were rebuilt in the mid-late C17 as a 2-storey crosswing with attic. This wing had a stair turret and possibly a storied porch on the south end, now largely rebuilt. A queen-post truss is exposed on the south gable.

Exterior

The square-panel framing to N gable end shows jowled storey posts and also a second jowled post set one yard in from the corner, indicating the position of a framed smoke bay. The upper end of the hall house was rebuilt as a 2-storey crosswing in the C16. It is jettied front and back, the front (south) jetty beam being the more elaborately moulded, with rolls and quirks (it is now only visible internally). The north jetty has been partially underbuilt in rubble and, abutting it, is an external stack with raking shoulders. The framing of the crosswing is close-studded throughout with continuous storey posts and mid-rails and splay jowled corner posts. The south wing of the house is a rubble built extension of 2 phases - an C18 kitchen block and a C19 former granary with eternal stone steps. Stone slate roofs to the easterly ranges, mainly slate to the west. Four rubble stacks with square section uppers, a tall ridge stack with offsets to the west of the C17 wing has a slated gablet built around it. All the doors and windows are modern.

Interior

Remarkable interior with much exposed timber-framing and some early painted decoration. Two C15 full-height cruck trusses frame the long lower end bay of the original hall house, the west (end) truss has panel infill and mullion window-framing, a head-height rail is notched and halved into the cruck blades and it thickens out on the east (room) side to act as a joist support. The truss has been truncated above the collar. The east (partition) truss is also partially cut down to allow for later dormer framing. It is heavily smoke-blackened on both sides and has a yoke collar halved into the blades with many protruding pegs, a diagonally-set ridge piece set into a notched apex and at head height a further halved-in rail with empty mortices for partition framing exposed on the underside. This rail and the cruck blades up to rail height have narrow chamfer and square-cut stops. The room framed by the crucks has a former partition beam running transversely with wide chamfer and diagonally-cut stops, and 2 main joists running axially with narrow chamfers.
The C16 close-studded crosswing has one large room on the ground-floor with large axial beam with wide chamfer and 2 subsidiary beams with narrow chamfer and square-cut stops. Also exposed are very wide chamfered joists. In the south-west corner is a doorway with modern 4-centred arch lintel and adjacent to this the joists were trimmed indicating the position of the original staircase. On the first-floor are 2 rooms open to the roof. Exposed queen-post trusses, chamfered tie beams, purlins and wallplates and short plain windbraces in each bay corner. Smoke blackening on the timbers suggests the upper floor was heated by a brazier fire. The position of 3 small windows in the corners of the wing, overlooking the jetties, can be established. They were simple unglazed 3-light openings with squared chamfered mullions - one original mullion survives.
The central rooms of the house date to the second half of the C17. Large ground-floor rubble fireplace, the stack backing on to the former cross-passage and inserted into an earlier smoke bay. The lintel is chamfered with scroll stops. Two axial beams with ovolo mouldings, their eastern ends inserted into the framing of the close-studded wing. A further ovolo and step-moulded beam along the line of the south gable end probably framed the entrance to the stair turret. On the first floor the fire stack tapers sharply and is enclosed within the framing of a smoke bay in the form of a bressummer beam resting on jowled posts. Exposed beams have square-cut stops. Above, an attic with one smoke-blackened end truss and a later central open truss with halved apex and collar. Traces of painted decoration were discovered in the 2 wings during restoration, they include imitation panelling framed by twisted columns, stylized heart motifs and scrollwork and date to the mid-late C17.

Reasons for Listing

Included as an exceptional timber-framed house whose vernacular character has survived extensive changes and restorations.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17742067

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

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)