Description

TL 57 SE
8/80

SOHAM
TOWNSEND
(East Side)
Fairfield Lodge

II

The original house was built in mid C16, of two bays and cross-
passage plan with gable end to the road. In the early C17 the
wing to the left hand was added, and the plan of the house was
converted to one of hall and crosswing with a lobby-entry.
Crosswing, timber framed, plaster rendered with steeply pitched
tile roof, with a gablet at the rear. Large ridge stack, cut
down, at junction with hall. Two storeys. Two C20 casements to
gable end and to side wall. Hall, early C17 also timber framed,
plaster rendered with gable end to left-hand rebuilt in gault
brick. Two storeys. Three C20 casements. Modern door in
original doorway to early C17 lobby-entry. Interior. The plan
of the original two-bayed mid C16 house remains intact. In the
service end, the partition wall between the buttery and pantry
survives, as do the two service doorways off the cross-passage,
one with its original arched head. The opposing entries to the
cross-passage have been blocked and a staircase inserted, but an
early C17 screen with square, sunken panelling and a frieze of
strapwork remains. The hall has an original quartered floor
frame with moulded and leaf stopped main beams, and an original
hearth of clunch. There is curved bracing between the jowled
posts and the tie-beams. A pair of posts, unjowled, and without
a tie-beam form an intermediate bay in the service end. The
roof is of side purlin construction and of substantial
scantling. There are straight wind braces between rafters and
purlins. No sooted rafters were visible. The early C17 wing is
in two bays. The hearth is of brick and abuts the mid C16
hearth. The floor joists are carried on a chamfered clamp. The
main beam is chamfer stopped. At first flor, there are braces
between posts and tie-beams and a middle rail or side girth
about three feet below the wall plate. The roof is also of side
purlin construction but of light scantling and without wind
bracing.

Listing NGR: TL5914774233

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26419381

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments