Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 13/04/2012

TQ 64 SE
6/321

PADDOCK WOOD
COLTS HILL
Colts Hill Farmhouse

(Formerly listed as Latchets)

II

House, formerly a farmhouse. Framed construction on brick and sandstone
rubble footings, hung with peg-tiles; peg-tile roof; brick stacks. Circa mid
C15 origins, remodelled in the circa late C17, rear addition of the 1970s.

Plan: The house is sited below the road and end on to it, facing south. The
plan originated as a 4-bay open hall house with a 2-bay hall in the centre,
the right (east) end storeyed. The original arrangement at the left (west)
end is unclear. The C17 remodelling, which may have been in several phases,
involved flooring the hall and inserting an axial stack with back-to-back
fireplaces heating the 2 left hand (west) rooms. There was probably a lobby
entrance associated with this phase although the present front door is almost
central and leads directly into the centre room. The wall framing shows
evidence of considerable reconstruction and the medieval rafters have been re-
used in the existing roof. In the 1970s a rear right wing was added on the
same axis as the old house.

Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4-window front, the roof half-hipped at
ends; axial stack with a modern brick shaft. Front right corner stack,
probably C19, with a large rectangular sandstone bread oven. Almost central
gabled porch on posts with a C19 plank front door. 1-, 2- and 3-light C20
casements with square leaded panes. The left (west) return has a probably
1930s 2-leaf door with a horizontal porch hood, a C19 3-light small-pane
casement and a 3-light first floor C20 casement with square leaded panes. The
right (east) return has a similar ground floor casement. The 1970s addition
is brick and tile-hung with a peg-tile roof and casement windows with square
leaded panes.

Interior: The C17 hall in the centre has a massive chamfered step-stopped
crossbeam close to the axial stack and a massive axial beam; chamfered stopped
joists. The partition between the hall and right hand (east) room has been
moved, reducing the hall in size. The axial stack has no fireplace on the
hall side, it has presumably been blocked. The right hand room has original
medieval joists of massive scantling and includes a trimmer for a stair. The
left hand room has 2 ceiling beams on the long axis, these are of a later
character. The fireplace has been rebuilt. A stair rises from this room
against the rear wall. The wall-framing includes re-used timbers and wall
posts without jowls. The medieval hall truss survives, immediately right
(east) of the inserted stack. It has one massive hollow-chamfered arched
brace intact, the other has been removed.

Roof: The roof appears to have been thoroughly rebuilt above the tie beams
but re-using medieval smoke-blackened rafters which survive throughout the
length of the roofspace, augmented with later rafter couples. The joints are
nailed. The medieval tie beam has a rough socket for a crown post. A plain
post, with diagonal braces down to the tie, survives over the left (west) end
of the roof, about 1.5 metres high, it does not appear to be part of the
medieval arrangement.

An interesting traditional house of medieval origins.

Listing NGR: TQ6784344787

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26552341

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)