Description

SO 33 NW MICHAELCHURCH ESCLEY CP -

Lower House Farmhouse
2/34
-

GV II*

Farmhouse. Possibly C16 or C17, partly recast in late C19 and early C20.
Thick-walled rubble, brick, slate roof, brick stack to left of centre.
Two room central range with lobby entry to left, two-room cross-wing beyond
chimney to left hand side, shallower but wider span right hand cross-wing.
Two storeys to cross-wings; one storey and attic to centre range; 4 windows:
one 2-light C19 casement to left hand side of left cross-wing, two 3-light
late C19 or early C20 casements to right of entrance, one 2-light C19 case-
ment to first floor of left gable, 2 early C20 casements in brick slate
roofed gabled dormers to centre range, shallow 2-light window under label to
right hand gable. Entrances: by early C20 ledged door under slate gabled
canopy to left hand side of centre range; by high double ledged doors to
right hand cross-wing under segmental-headed brick arch. Interior: flagged
floors; stop-chamfered beams to the 2 principal rooms, viz that to front
of left hand cross-wing and that to right of chimney in centre range;
heavy closely-set ceiling joists. Framed oak window with 2 diamond section
mullions and internal C18 (?) hinged shutters to left wall of rear ground
floor room of left cross-wing; similar window with 4 mullions to rear wall
of same room. Principal room to right of chimney has rear window of 2 rows
of 4 small lights divided by deeply chamfered mullions and a transom with
indications of the removal from each light of thin diamond section subsidiary
mullions; C18 ledged door to rear of chimney leads to rear-lit winding newel
stair with oak treads. In rear wall of right cross-wing is a blocked 5-light
untransomed diamond section mullioned oak window retaining its intervening
small diamond section mullions. Roof of left wing has single raking struts
to each truss; purlins are set on edge to front and flat to rear. Interrupted
tie-beam truss around chimney stack on first floor. Despite external frontal
alterations in the last century, the building retains an extraordinary amount
of detail unaltered, major roof spaces not inspected.

Listing NGR: SO3081936287

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17538010

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House