Description

1517/9/204
05-APR-66

WASHFIELD
BROOK LANE
WASHFIELD
BROOK FARMHOUSE

II*

SS 91 NW
9/204
5.4.66

WASHFIELD
BROOK LANE, Washfield
Brook Farmhouse

II*

Former farmhouse, possibly originally the solar wing of a larger house. 1565 (datestone), refronted late C19/early C20; Fine coursed ashlar masonry:
courses of small blocks laced with courses of larger blocks, all on low stone rubble
footings with a moulded string course; front left corner with shallow set-offs. The
front wall has been rebuilt in brick in the late C19/early C20; slate roof, gabled
at ends; end stacks with red brick shafts.
Plan: What survives of the original plan form suggests a 3-storey solar wing, the
hall and service end of which has been demolished. It is a 2 storey
and attic arrangement with high quality carpentry on the first floor indicating a
superior chamber at this level. There has been some alteration of internal partitions
but the (incomplete) plan is single depth, originally with 1
room on the ground floor and an internal stack at the left end. A stair to the first
floor rises against the rear wall and a further flight to the attic rises against the
left end wall, adjacent to the left end stack. The first floor may originally have
been a single room with high quality moulded cross beams but, to the rear, a pair of
C16 doorframes in a partition gives access to 2 small closets, the right hand closet
lit by an oriel window. The function of the attic is unclear; it has a C16 doorframe
to the stair and a substantial floor. Masonry details suggest that the building
extended further to the front, the front probably rebuilt in brick following the demolition
of the rest of the house. The adjoining range to the south, now a separate house, was probably added in the C19, but is not included in the listing.
Exterior: 2 storeys and attic. 2-window front, deceptively giving the appearance of a rather ordinary late C19 brick house
with a central gabled porch and probably late C19 3-light timber casements to the
right, metal framed C20 replacements to the left.
Splendid rear elevation to left hand block, which has a notable oriel window supported
on a carved head and corbelled out on orders of carved moulding including beaded
ribbon design and scratched ornament. The timber chamfered mullioned window has five
lights and one to each return and plain glazing. Below the oriel is an inscription,
not entirely legible but probably 'WYNEFRED R.E. MAYNARD JP MS 1565' and the remains
of the double-headed eagle of the Worth family. Small first floor 3-light timber
mullioned window with chamfered mullions to right of the oriel, 1 similar ground floor
left window; probably C20 slit window, ground floor right. The left return has a semi-circular projecting bread oven which may be a C19 addition with some
brickwork where it abuts the ashlar masonry. A 3-light chamfered mullioned window
lights the stair which also has a very small slit window with a timber frame. 3-light
timber mullioned window lights attic.
Interior: Altered partitions confuse the plan form but the ground floor appears to have been 1 room originally with deeply-chamfered step-stopped cross
beams. C20 grates, probably concealing earlier features. The first flight of stairs
has timber treads and risers and a chamfered cambered doorframe at the top; the
present first floor axial passage to the rear and division into 2 rooms are probably
part of the C19 remodelling. Fine first floor moulded unstopped cross beams, these
presumably extend above the plastered ceiling of the 2 small closets at the rear which
are fitted in above the width of the rear stair and entered through chamfered cambered
doorframes. The attic has a floor of wide planks and has been plastered below the
level of the collars of the late C19 or early C20 A frame trusses. The principal
rafters of these trusses are straight and the formerly trenched purlins have been
re-sited on the outer edge of the principal rafters. The attic floor drops above the
small rooms on
the first floor but also consists of very wide planks above them.
The remains of a plank and muntin screen with a chamfered cambered doorframe survive
in the barn opposite the house and originated in the house.
A remarkable survival of a very unusual late C16 building of high status. The house
is sited south of the church, facing east and the church is visible from the oriel
window.

Listing NGR: SS9352215213

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17548101

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

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)