Description

AYMESTREY

1560/0/10003 The Porch House
03-FEB-06

II
Cottage. C17 or earlier. Timber frame encased within later roughly coursed freestone painted facades, a grey slate roof, and exterior rubble chimney stack to the rear. Minor single storey extensions on the north, east and south were constructed at a later date, the southern one formerly housed the village smithy or forge. Those to the rear or east are more recent and of low historical significance.
PLAN: 1 1/2 storey, single cell plan, with two principal rooms aligned north to south. The entrance is located asymmetrically towards the south of the western facade giving access into the main living room, which was heated by the fireplace located in the middle of the eastern wall. Although the external location of this lateral chimney stack suggests a later, possibly C18 addition, the dwelling may predate the common occurrence of fireplaces in smaller domestic dwellings. A doorway to the north gives access into the second room, with simple winder staircase in the southwest angle. The rear exit is in the centre of the eastern wall, and gives access to the more recent kitchen and utility rooms. A timber framed partition across the northern end of the second room, gives access to two small pantries, the westernmost of which has a doorway to the extension. On the first floor are three principal rooms, the staircase gives access to the northern one, with a small modern bathroom and airing cupboard in the northeast angle and single four light casements in the east and west wall. To the south is the principal chamber, with a four light casement in the west wall. To the south is the third chamber, with a small cast-iron Victorian fireplace in the south wall, and a four light casement in the west wall. In the southwest angle the change in the thickness of the wall masonry is evidence of the truncation of the original extant of this room, when the single storey extension was added. Although much of the timber framing is concealed behind more recent plasterwork or wall paper, enough of the principal structure is visible to determine that it is constructed from massive timbers, with evidence of reuse from an earlier structure. The timber framing is box framed set upon a low rubble wall. In both the principal ground floor chambers, chamfered ceiling beams with stepped stops survive. The majority of the cill beams, corner posts, wall plate, box frame studs, floor joists, bridging beams and internal partitions can be located. The doors are early braced plank doors throughout the building. Within the roof space, two original trusses are preserved in the gables and much of the remaining timber was reused in the reconstructed roof after it was raised in the C18 or early C19, with the addition of later rafters to support the later grey slate roof. The roof structure is constructed from collar beams with angle struts, trenched purlins and a halfed apex.
FAÇADE: The western elevation is white painted roughly coursed freestone, with a planked timber door located towards the south, beneath an open timber and slate porch with fretwork bargeboards and internal benches. There is a four light casement to the right and two four light casements to the left. On the first floor are three four light casements. To the far left is a single storey lean to extension. On the far right is a single storey gabled extension, with a square opening with timber plank shutters partially in filled with concrete blocks, and a pair of timber plank garage doors. The north and south elevations are white painted roughly coursed freestone with some later concrete block and brick repairs. The rear elevation has a modern single storey lean-to extension which masks the full extent of the extremely wide external chimney stack constructed, to eaves height, of roughly coursed freestone with a more recent brick extension to ridge height. On the first floor are two, four light timber casements to the right of the chimney.
SUBSIDARY FEATURES: The southern extension believed to have been the village forge does not retain any interior evidence for its former use. It is constructed partly from timber box frame upon a low freestone wall and retains some historic significance. To the front of The Porch House is a low wall with curved stone capping and plain wrought iron railings, which also contributes to the village street scene.
HISTORY: The Porch House occupies a highly visible roadside location, immediately adjacent to the village church. Although no formal history has been found, architectural evidence suggests that it was constructed in the C17. At a later date the building underwent additions and alterations, including the raising and slating of the roof and re-facing the walls in stone. Later single storey extensions were added to the south, north and east elevation. The extension to the south was used as the village smithy or forge. These later works did not substantially alter the earlier timber frame which survives largely intact.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26670836

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

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)