Description

MELBOURN LITTLE LANE
TL 3844
(South west side)
24/186
Nos. 2, 4 (Old
Hall House).
GV II

House. Late medieval, probably c.1500, extended by two bays to the north in
C17 and again at the rear in C20. Timber-frame, exposed at first floor, with
plaster rendered walls and long straw thatch roof with end stack, also timber
framed, inserted in C17. The eight upper courses are of red brick with C19
grey brick to stack. Three bay plan and two bays to the north added C17.
Small C20 extension at rear. Two storeys with the end to the south jettied
at first floor. Framing exposed at first floor. Close studding of uniform
scantling with shallow downward bracing similar to that of the cross-wing to
the ltaltings, High Street, Haslingfield, Cambs. (q.v.). One original window
opening with sill, to the centre bay. Jettied end has two casements. The
original doorway to the centre bay is now blocked. The present entry is now
at the rear in a small C20 hall and staircase addition. C17 two bay addition
at the North end. Framed and plastered. Thatched roof at lower ridge and
eaves level. Inside: The three bays of the C15 house are intact. The
timber framing is exposed. Close studding, unmoulded tie beams, wall plates
and bracing and jowled main posts with downward bracing from principal posts
to middle rail in end walls. There is a closed truss between the jettied bay
to the left hand and the centre bay. The closed truss extended from ground
floor to the roof. It is now open on ground floor. It would seem that the
house has always been floored, despite the blackening in the roof and
elsewhere indicating an open hall. The joists are contemporary with the rest
of the frame. They are laid flat, unmoulded and substantial. The timbers
are weathered externally. The second truss was closed at ground floor.
There are mortices forstudwork. At first floor the same truss is open and
has arch bracing to the tie beam. The inserted inglenook fireplace is red
brick with stop-chamfered lintel, now incorporated in the repairs to the
stack at ground floor. Above the brickwork the stack is framed and
plastered. In the roof eight courses of red brickwork rest on the framing of
the stack. The C15 roof remains unaltered. It is of clasped through purlin
construction with cambered collars and paired and curved wind bracing between
purlin and principal. The principal rafters are cut to accommodate the
purlin. Rafters are halved and pegged at the apex. The two bays to the
right hand were open to the roof at first floor level. The jettied bay has a
much earlier ceiling to the first floor chamber. There are original oak
lathes laid over the backs of the rafters. In 1842 the house was owned by
Peterhouse College, Cambridge and let as two tenements to William Course and
William Day.

Tithe Map: C.R.0. P.117/27/20
V.C.H. Cambs. Vol. 8, p.73

Listing NGR: TL3827144646

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26420468

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings