Moorhouse Farm, Boxted, Suffolk

Summary

Timber-framed house, comprising a late-C15 parlour cross-wing, and a mid- to late-C16 hall, partially remodelled in the mid- to late C19.

Description

Timber-framed house, comprising a late-C15 parlour cross-wing, and a mid- to late-C16 hall, partially remodelled in the mid- to late C19.

MATERIALS: The late-C15 parlour cross-wing and mid- to late-C16 hall are timber-framed and rendered, with exposed brick nogging to the ground floor of the front elevation.

PLAN: The building is roughly L-shaped on plan, comprising a rectangular-plan late-C15 parlour cross-wing laid out on a north-east – south-west axis, measuring approximately 5m in width and 15m in length, and a perpendicular rectangular-plan mid- to late-C16 hall aligned on a north-west - south-east axis, measuring approximately 7m in width and 13.7m in length.

EXTERIOR: The late-C15 parlour cross-wing is a two-bay structure with a pitched plain tile roof gabled to the north-east and south-west. The timber-framed walls are mostly rendered, and it is likely the front (north-east) gable was jettied over the ground floor, however the jetty appears to have been lost. The north-west side is two storeys in height and has a projecting mid- to late-C19 chimneybreast, four bays of irregularly-spaced windows mostly containing two-over-two pane sash windows, and a half-glazed door in the left bay. The south-west gable is constructed of red brick laid in stretcher bond, with a central projecting chimneybreast, and a casement window to the left at ground floor level, and to the right at first floor level. A single-storey gabled extension was added to the south-east corner, probably in the C19, and also has a plain tile roof covering. The south-east side has a glazed C20 lean-to extension, over which the plain tile roof continues.
The perpendicular hall, added to the east side of the late-C15 cross-wing in the mid- to late C16, is approximately 1.5 metres taller than the cross-wing. It has a pitched roof with a plain tile covering, and a rendered brick stack on the south-east gable; a short extension to the south-east gable, probably the remains of an early-C17 range, has a C19 lean-to roof with a plain tile covering. The front (north-east) elevation is two and half storeys in height and four bays in width, with rendered timber-framed walls to the first floor, and exposed timber framing and brick nogging to the ground floor over a plinth. The outer bays each have a large gable with a scalloped bargeboard and pointed finial added in the mid- to late C19; the left gable appears to have been added in the C19 to visually balance the right C15 gable. Two gabled dormers were added to the roof in the mid- to late-C19, also with scalloped bargeboards and pointed finials. On the ground floor the second bay from right has a projecting open porch, added in the mid- to late C19, flanked by a canted bay window on each side; the canted bay to the left of the porch may originally have been two storeys high. The porch has a pitched plain tiled roof, scalloped bargeboard with a pointed finial, and half-glazed door; behind the left side of the porch, a pegged lintel shows the location of a former door opening. The mid- to late-C19 windows contain two-over-two timber sashes in moulded architraves throughout. The south-east elevation has a red brick buttress projecting from each end, indicating the former presence of a C17 brick-built range to the south-east. On the left side of the ground floor, a two-over-two sash window occupies the position of an early-C17 doorway, indicating it opened into the demolished structure. The rear (south-west) elevation is two storeys in height and three bays in width. The render appears to conceal the presence of a former jetty over the ground floor which had an open arcade to an internal gallery or corridor; the inner jetty plate remains exposed in the ground floor drawing room. The first floor has three two-over-two sash windows, and the ground floor has a two-over-two sash window to the right side, and late-C20 glazed double doors to left of centre.

INTERIOR: The interior of the late-C15 parlour cross-wing was formed of five bays, comprising a two-bay parlour at the north-east end, a narrow stair bay, and two additional rooms to the rear (south-west). The internal partitions are now most obvious in the roof space which preserves a chamfered crown-post above the parlour chamber, and two plain crown posts to the rear; the front roof shows signs of smoke leakage from the former adjoining open hall to the south-east (replaced in the C16). The ground floor parlour was probably entered from the adjoining hall, as it is today, and retains a fine ogee-moulded ceiling of principal and common joists, the former supported by a shaped corbel block on the storey post. The mouldings are typical of the late-C15 and early-C16, and their quality and height indicate the high social status of the building’s occupants. The fireplace was replaced in the late C20. A later passage was inserted in the rear bay of the parlour, aligning with the rear gallery of the mid- to late-C16 hall, and now forms the side entrance passage. To the rear of the side passage, a cloakroom and WC have been added within the former stair bay, and a utility room and straight stair, and kitchen in the two rooms to the rear, accessed by a C20 lean-to off the south-east side. The south-east elevation of the cross-wing and return of the mid- to late-C16 hall are preserved within this C20 lean-to. The south-east elevation of the cross-wing shows evidence of a blocked door opening into the former stair bay, and an outshot in the return of the two wings that acted as a stair lobby. The stair rose to a landing flanked by doors that opened into the chambers to front and rear; the ornate carved lintel of the front chamber is now situated in a bathroom, following the subdivision of the former parlour chamber into multiple washrooms and a bedroom, and the lintel turned around so it can be seen. The plan forms of the rear rooms largely survive; the second last room has been reduced in size and a corridor and straight stair to the kitchen inserted on the south-east side. Both the late-C15 cross-wing and mid- to late-C16 hall retain mid- to late-C19 four-panel doors and moulded architraves throughout.

The perpendicular hall, built in the mid- to late C16 replacing an earlier open hall, is rectangular on plan, and south-east of the parlour contains an entrance hall, a drawing room, a small room at the south-east end, and internal gallery which runs the length of the south-west side. On the ground floor, the entrance hall features a mid- to late-C19 stair; to the rear of the entrance hall an extension to the side passage (formerly part of the internal gallery) provides access to a cellar under the stair and a connection through to the C15 cross-wing. Light soot encrustation on the studwork to the left side of the cellar stair (on the side of the late-C15 parlour) indicates the studwork faced an open hearth within the former open hall. The cellar may be a C17 or C18 insertion, and has brick walls, a later brick-covered floor, and a later stair. The drawing room retains a high degree of timber framing, including a chamfered binding joist. The room was formerly heated by a fireplace on the north-west side (where it meets the chamfered binding joist), however the fireplace was removed, and a fireplace added on the south-east wall flanked by C18 cupboards with shelved niches in round-arched classical surrounds. The south-west wall has a screen of open studwork and an internal gallery beyond, 1.5m wide, which formerly ran the length of the mid- to late-C16 hall. The internal gallery had a jetty over, the depth of which can be observed in the door and window reveals on the south-west wall. The inner jetty plate remains exposed and contains a series of wide gaps between its stud pegs that were probably filled either with turned balusters or Tudor arches. At the north-west end of the gallery, the narrow, arched doorway is an original feature, although its arch cuts its jambs after the earlier opening was widened. Many of the studs and the door jamb are grooved, indicating former brick infill. A wider opening near the centre of the screen is a later insertion. At the south-east end of the gallery an improbably small room to the rear of the drawing room fireplace likely represents part of the demolished C17 extension. At the south-east end of the gallery, the chamfered jambs of an early-C17 doorway indicate it opened into the demolished brick structure; the doorway was infilled by a window in the mid- to late-C19. On the first floor, the landing of the C19 stair provides a connection northwest through to the stair hall of the late-C15 cross-wing. A room off the south-east corner of the landing has a partly chamfered binding joist, indicating the former presence of a chimney which has been removed. A corridor runs along the front of the building, probably introduced in the C18 or C19, and provides access to the parlour chamber of the late-C15 cross-wing, a large bedroom to the south and a bathroom at the south-east end. To the right of the parlour chamber door, the corner post of the mid- to late C16 range contains an empty mortice for an arch brace to its tie beam, demonstrating that it was open-framed on the first floor against the earlier range. Along the corridor, stud pegs and mortices provide evidence of former door openings. The structure of the wind-braced purlin roof and an unusual transitional scarf joint point towards a construction date around the 1570s or 1580s. A small number of wind braces were removed from the front slope when two dormer windows were added in the mid- to late C19.

History

Mores Manor, a sub-manor of Boxted, was owned by William Cressener (around 1392-1454) and his family in the C15 and early C16. At that time the manor comprised 78 acres of arable, 82 acres of pasture, one and half acres of meadow and 8 acres of wood called Le Moore Smokelys. It was sold to Richard Poley of nearby Boxted Hall (located under 1km to the south-east) in 1542 and absorbed into the main manor. The present timber-framed house, now known as Moorhouse Farm, includes a large, high-status late-C15 parlour cross-wing of five bays, and a mid- to late-C16 hall; its façade was partially remodelled in the mid- to late C19.

The late-C15 parlour cross-wing originally adjoined an open hall on its left (east) side and preserves a fine ogee-moulded ceiling in its front parlour with a decorated crown-post in the chamber above. A narrow stair bay was originally entered from the corner of the hall and there are two further rooms with intact crown-post roofs to the rear. The adjoining open hall was replaced in the mid- to late-C16 by a timber-framed structure of no less than 7m in width that was jettied to the rear with an internal gallery under the jetty. It appears that the gallery was divided from the rear yard by an open arcade that probably contained arches or turned balusters, and gave access to a number of small, heated rooms. A largely complete roof structure of wind-braced butt-purlins survives in the chambers above. This mid- to late-C16 structure was possibly built by the Poleys as a park lodge, probably when Boxted Hall was rebuilt in or soon after 1561. Moorhouse Farm appears to have been converted into a residence, possibly for a family member, by the early C17; a portrait of ‘Richard Poley of Moorhouse’, dated 1601, hangs in nearby Boxted Hall.

Deer parks were at the height of fashion in Elizabethan Suffolk, and surviving field names, the location of Moorhouse Farm on high ground, and similarities with other lodges and hospitality buildings, strongly suggest that Moorhouse Farm was used as a park lodge. Lodges provided a focal point for entertainment, which included fine dining and drinking as well as both watching and participating in the hunt. Hodskinson’s map of 1783 shows a small group of structures at ‘Moors’ and a dense woodland approximately 800m to the south-west. Bryant’s map of 1826 labels the structures as ‘Moor House Farm’ and the dense woodland to the south-west as ‘Boxted Park’. The tithe apportionment of 1841 records Moorhouse as a tenanted farm of 256 acres belonging to the Marquis of Downshire and occupied by John Spencer Westrup. The associated tithe map, dated 1840, shows that the woodland, by that time called ‘Park Wood’, had been reduced in size with strips of arable introduced to the east, west and north. North of the wood and west of the homestead, the tithe map shows a field labelled ‘Park Ley’ (‘ley’ meaning a wood or a clearing). Between the homestead and the wood was a pocket of land known as ‘Dovehouse Ley’, indicating the former presence of a high-status dovecote, likely the square building shown west of the house on the tithe map, the remnants of which may survive in the garden wall. A pond in Dovehouse Ley, approximately 35m south-east of the house, possibly represents the remains of a medieval fishpond. The tithe map shows two large detached structures north of the homestead, likely a double threshing barn with two porches, and a single threshing barn, however these were replaced by a U-plan range of model farm buildings in the mid- to late C19, as shown on the 1884 Ordnance Survey map. The front (north-east) façade of the house was also remodelled in the mid- to late C19, with the addition of a gable, two dormers, decorative bargeboards, and porch. The single-storey extension to the south-east corner of the late-C15 wing was probably added in the C19, and a glazed lean-to was added to the south-east side of the cross-wing in the late C20.

Reasons for Listing

Moorhouse Farm, a timber-framed house comprising a late-C15 parlour cross-wing and a mid- to late-C16 range, partially remodelled in the mid- to late C19, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* for the varied vernacular architecture of this evolved historic dwelling, the various phases of which contribute to rather than detract from its special interest;
* for the high proportion of survival of the late-C15 parlour cross-wing, which retains a fine ogee-moulded ceiling in its front parlour, a decorated crown-post in the chamber above, and a high proportion of its original roof structure and floor plan;
* for the architectural interest of the mid- to late-C16 range which retains evidence of an internal gallery (suggesting the former use of the building as a park lodge), a high proportion of its original wind-braced roof structure, and interior fixtures and fittings of note.

Historic interest:
* evidence strongly suggests Moorhouse Farm served as a park lodge for Boxted Hall, and as such, it was a key building in the important seigneurial landscape of the manor;
* for the evolution of this multi-phased building over more than 500 years, the historic phases of which remain legible.

Group value:
* for the strong historic group it forms with the Church of All Saints at Boxted (listed at Grade I), Boxted Hall (listed at Grade II*), and the stables and garden wall and pavilions at Boxted Hall (both listed at Grade II), all within 1km of Moorhouse Farm.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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British Listed Buildings

History in Structure

Moorhouse Farm

A Grade II Listed Building in Boxted, Suffolk

Coordinates

Summary

Description

History

Reasons for Listing

External Links

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