History

Mid C16 house, with earlier origins.

Exterior

Two storeys, thatched roof with eyebrows with distinctive ochre painted lime-rendered elevations. Originally a two-cell house with offset entry, later bay to E end which marginally breaks forward of the front elevation and the eaves line. Three stacks; two gable, one axial. Off-centre two-centred dressed stone doorway with new oak door. Front elevation has three, four-paned casements to first floor stepping down to the right, all are set below thatched eyebrows, that to the left being more pronounced. Central small single, square-headed light with chamfered stone frame and ferramenta. At ground floor level is a C16, three-light window with arched heads, diamond leaded casements, sunk chamfered mullions and carved spandrels under a straight hoodmould. The gable ends are unlit. Rear elevation has a later, long single storey lean-to, with three, four-paned casements and rooflights. Further casement to the E end.

Interior

Substantially retains original plan on ground floor with hall at W end and twin service rooms at E end. Entered via cross passage which retains opposed dressed stone two-centred doorways on S and N elevations. The N doorway now internalised by C19 (?) rear lean-to extension, has a round head with plain chamfer and cushion stops; whilst the S doorway is more acutely pointed. Cross passage retains twin doorways to buttery and pantry at E end with a third two-centred doorway at N end, probably originally serving stairway to solar over service end. N doorway has plain dressed stone whilst buttery/pantry doorways have plain chamfers and cushion stops. Cross passage separated from former W hall cell by masonry partition probably inserted in C16 when the hall was floored over. Partition contains large open fire served by axial stack with chamfered timber bressumer and oven in N jamb. Straight flight mid C16 (?) stair formerly rose in SE corner of the W hall, now timber replacement, stair is lit by a medieval (re-set) rectangular light with original ferramenta. W hall cell has large C18 (? or later) fire at W end with crude timber lintol. Fire at E end now blocked from hall and opens into cross passage. Hall ceiling retains three large chamfered and stopped C16 beams with exposed, restored, joists and is lit on the S side by a mid C16, thre-light hall window with arched heads, hollow chamfers and sunk spandrels.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* as a good early house retaining a substantial amount of its historic character and with important group value with the adjacent Parish Church.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17744275

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide