Description

TL 5458 LITTLE WILBRAHAM HIGH STREET
(South Side)

17/34 White Hall

II

Farmhouse late C16 or early C17. The projecting wing to the
front with a porch at ground floor and a room above is probably
contemporary or perhaps a little later, about 1620. Late in the
C17 or early in C18 the house was extended by the addition of a
wing at the rear, probably for a kitchen. The house is
timber-framed on a high brick sill, and plaster rendered, but
the rear wall and one gable end were cased in yellow brick in
C19. Steeply pitched roof with the pitch of the roof at the
rear at a more acute angle. The tiles are C20, except for
reused ones at the rear. Original ridge stack of red brick.
Original three bay, lobby-entry plan. Two storeys. All the
fenestration of three windows at first floor and three at ground
floor is C20, and includes three-light horizontal sliding
sashes. The doorway and door are, however, original. The door
is typical of the period, having six panels with channelled and
cyma moulded rails, stiles and muntins. The two storey porch is
also timber-framed, and plaster rendered, but the brick sill is
at a lower height. Tiled roof with the gable carried forward
above an oriel window with a similar three-light sash window.
The ends of the wallplates have original faceted pendants. The
porch is open on three sides, with similar surrounds and arches
to the outer and side openings. The arches have small pseudo
key blocks with faceted pendant similar to those of the wall-
plate, in a square head with raised panels to the spandrels.
There are plain capitals to the responds of the openings at
impost height. Apart from the loss of one pendant the three
porch openings are intact. Inside the porch, there are low
settles with shaped ends, probably original. The late C17
addition at the rear, is timber framed and soft red brick with
some gault brick to the upper courses in the gable end. One
wall however may be partly timber-framed and plastered. The
roof is tiled and has a tumbled, parapetted gable end. There is
a contemporary bread oven at the gable end. Interior: Many of
the details in the house date from the early-mid C17. The room
to the left hand, possibly originally the parlour has a smaller
hearth which has been repaired, and original ovolo moulded main
beams and stop chamfered joists. The centre room or hall has an
inglenook hearth, repaired, with mid C17 oak fireplace surround
of pilasters with mantel with rosette bosses to the soffit. The
overmantel has four sunken panels with small flanking pilasters,
a dentil cornice and a frieze enriched with foliate bosses. The
dentil cornice and the panelling is carried round at the sides
of the fireplace. Recently uncovered (c.1980) in a bedroom, is
a C17 roundel painted with a vase fitted with roses. The roof
is original and of clasped side purlin construction with paired,
straight wind bracing. There is a closed truss between the hall
and right hand end bay and the sequence of carpenters marks to
the rafters terminates at this point. It is possible that this
end of the house is an addition or that this part of the roof
has been rebuilt.

R.C.H.M. Record card

Listing NGR: TL5424358447

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26588304

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

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  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy