Description

BASCHURCH C.P.
SJ 42 NW -
12/6 Wycherley Hall
-
27.5.53
- II*
Manor house, now farmhouse. Circa 1400 extended late C16 and early C17
with later additions and alterations. Timber framed with painted brick
infill and rebuilding painted black and white in imitation of timber frame;
slate roofs, part graded. Earliest part is gabled range to left of 2
framed bays formerly open to roof with roughly central smoke bay; porch
added at right-angles to left in late C16 and long hall range to right
in early C17; cross-wing at right-angles to hall range and gables to front
and rear added later in C17. Two storeys and attics. Framing: front
gable of medieval range refaced in C17 giving 'double' wall; 2 tall rect-
angular panels from first-floor bressumer to tie beam, raking struts above
with king-strut from collar. Ground floor rebuilt in brick painted black
and white in imitation. Late C16 porch at right-angles to left is jettied
to first floor and attic but ground floor has been rebuilt in brick
and doorway infilled. Gable has herringbone decoration to first floor
and close-set vertical posts above; close studding to left and square
panels to right. Left side of medieval range has irregular square and
rectangular panels and large upward-and downward-swinging curved tension
braces from middle rail. Rear gable has square panels, massive wall
posts and raking struts from slightly cambered tie beam to principal rafters.
C17 two-storey porch to right of medieval range to front has tall rectang-
ular panels to left side, square panels to right and close-set vertical
posts to apex of gable. Hall range and gabled cross-wing to right with
narrower gable in angle between all clad in brick to front, painted black
and white in imitation of timber frame. Rear: gable of cross-wing has
irregular square and rectangular panels and queen-strut truss with V-
struts from collar; close studding to left side. Mixture of square and
rectangular panels and close-set posts to hall range (partly rebuilt in
brick). Mixture of rectangular panels and close-set vertical posts to
narrow gable to right, which has V-struts from collar. Windows to front
all C20 except C19 leaded casements to attics of cross-wing and narrow
gable in angle to left; one to each floor of medieval range, one to first
floor of porch with 2 to ground floor flanking C20 plank door, one on
each floor to hall range, cross-wing and gable in angle between. Massive
extruded external lateral stack to left of medieval part with 2 detached
diagonal shafts; prominent external lateral stack to right of cross-wing
and similarly large external stack to back wall of hall range with top
rebuilt in C19 brick. C19 brick lean-to to rear of medieval range and
C19 brick lean-to to right of cross-wing. Interior. Full inspection
not possible at time of resurvey (January 1987) but has chamfered ceiling
beams and fragmentarily exposed timber frame throughout on ground and
first floors. Chamfered cross-beam ceiling in hall range to ground floor
and several panelled doors. Main feature of interest is c.1400 part,
formerly open to roof. Roughly central recess on ground and first floors
(timber frame visible to back on latter) represents smoke bay. Central
jowled wall posts visible on first floor with mortices for braces to tie
beam (sawn-off tenons visible to underside). Panelled door in Tudor
arch-way cut through tie beam to right. Roof structure visible in attic:
original single purlins, rafters, ridge piece and cusped windbraces.
Centre truss has raking struts from slightly cambered tie beam to principal
rafters like rear truss but front truss is not visible below collar level
owing to insertion of second-floor ceiling. Timber framed partition
with wattle and daub infill behind centre truss closes smoke bay.The whole
roof structure is heavily smoke blackened but especialy at this point.
C17 part of house has wide boarded oak floor boards to first floor and
attic and queen-strut roof. Hall range may be slighly earlier than re-
mainder as has mortice for a middle rail to wall post on first floor to
right suggesting that there was formerly an external wall at this point.

Listing NGR: SJ4181027259

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17540663

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 Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)