Description

SX 86 NW BROADHEMPSTON BROADHEMPSTON
2/81 Borough Farmhouse including
adjoining cider house to north-
east
GV II
Farmhouse. Mid-late C16 with C17 and C19 alterations and addition. Rendered rubble
walls with gable ended slate roof. Rendered stone stack to left gable end with
shaped top.
Originally 3-room and through passage plan with screens passage and lower room to
right. It is unclear whether there was originally an open hall or not as only 1
original roof truss is visible and that is clean. Rear lateral stack to hall and
gable end stack to inner room, unheated lower room. The inner room was probably
modified in the C17. In the C19 the house was re-fronted and modernised internally
with a passage inserted between hall and inner room. It also had a rear service
wing added. Possibly at this stage a pound house was added beyond the lower room.
Probably in the earlier C20 the passage and lower room fell into disuse and at
present are unoccupied with the lower side screen having been removed; the front
door of the passage was then blocked.
2 storeys. symmetrical 3-window front to left of mid C19 8-pane sashes with horns,
central C20 panelled door in arched opening with fanlight above. Barn extension to
right-hand side has double plank doors to left of centre. Rear wing has late C20
casement windows with large panes.
Interior: rear doorway to former passage has circa late C16 chamfered oak door
frame with depressed 4-centred arched head; possibly original studded heavy plank
door with strap hinges. The right-hand plank and muntin screen survives to the
passage and has chamfered muntins with straight cut stops and chamfered head beam.
Its original doorway is blocked and of a similar form to that at the rear of the
passage. The chamfered head beam is all that remains of the lower end screen, it has
mortices for the muntins and grooves for the planks. The original roof truss was
visible over the lower room and consisted of substantial well cut principal rafters
which had threaded purlins and a morticed cranked collar, apex not visible, all
clean. Beyond were rougher C18/C19 trusses with lapped collars. The lower room has
cross beams with worn chamfers. Beyond it is a pound house with the cider press and
machinery apparently intact, mainly of wooden construction. The hall was subject to
complete mid C19 modernisation and contains panelled shutters and doors with no
earlier features visible. The inner room has a central cross beam and half beam at
its gable end, both chamfered with bar and hollow step stops. The original
fireplace is likely to survive behind later blocking.
This house displays a number of interesting features from various periods with more
early features likely to be concealed. The survival of the cider press, and its
position adjoining the house, is relatively unusual although consistent with the
unspoilt condition of this house.

Listing NGR: SX8039066251

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26618848

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

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)