Description

THORNDON
TM 16 NW
3/74 Shorts Farmhouse
- II*

Farmhouse. Mid C16 hall range, altered and extended to north, perhaps early
C19. Circa 1600 parlour cross-wing to west and remains of contemporary stair
wing to north. Hall range is timber framed: good close-studded first floor to
south, formerly jettied; to the east, exposed tie beam braces and later
studding infilling a former open truss, indicating the range once extended
further. Ground floor of hall range underbuilt in colourwashed brick. C19
extension has colourwashed brick on the ground floor and plaster above.
Parlour wing has crowstepped brick gable end to south with C19 copings. The
remainder of this wing has an original brick ground floor, now colourwashed,
and plastered studding above. Plaintiled roof, altered to a hipped form to
the east when the C19 addition was made. 2 storeys with attic in parlour
wing. Hall range has various C19 casement windows. One blocked C16 first
floor window to south with mutilated moulded sill. South gable end of parlour
wing has original 3-light mullion and transom attic window; C19 5-light
windows to ground and first floors, also with a transom. All 3 windows had
quoined stucco surrounds, that to the ground floor window now in C19 white
brick, the others in C20 cement render. Remains of original hoodmoulds. Side
wall of this wing has blocked original window opening at ground floor and 2
original upper windows with heavy ovolo mullions, one with intact diamond
glazing bars. Remains of stair wing to north (rear) has an original 2-light
window with hoodmould and quoining. Former lobby entrance into hall range has
C19 colourwashed brick porch with embattled parapet, the door replaced by a
mid C20 canted bay window. To the east, facing the road, is a further doorway
with C19 6-panel raised and fielded door (upper 2 panels glazed), corniced
doorcase and timber trellis porch. Hall range has stack at junction with
wings: square red brick shaft, largely rebuilt C19. Side wall of wing has
remains of original stack to upper floor together with a small C19 external
shaft. Interior. Hall ceiling has roll-moulded cross-beams and similarly-
moulded joists with leaf stops. Further moulding to all the wallposts (to
ground level) and to the mid rail at each end of the room. Fireplace lintol
enriched with moulding and folded leaf carving. Chamber above has a cambered
ceiling with moulded cross-beams and joists (half concealed by plaster).
Newel stair to rear has C19 treads laid over the originals; the newel post has
mortices for an attic flight, now lost. Parlour has 2 ovolo bridging beams
and concealed joists. At first floor, a 2-bay chamber at the front and a one-
bay room behind: the chamfered ceiling beams are carried on ovolo-moulded
posts and were once arched-braced to them. Some heavy studding. Roof over
parlour wing is of side purlin form, heavily constructed. Roof over hall
range altered and not examined in detail.

Listing NGR: TM1425768018

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535363

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

• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  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)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)