Cross Keys Public House, Kinnerley, Shropshire

Summary

A cruck-framed building, either built for domestic or communal use placed at the centre of the village. Originally of the C14, with additions and alterations of the C18, C19 and C20. The corrugated metal, lean-to garage attached to the eastern end of the north side of the building is not of special or architectural interest.

Description

A cruck-framed building, either built for domestic or communal use placed at the centre of the village. Originally of the C14 or C15, with additions and alterations of the C18, C19 and C20.

MATERIALS: timber-framed with later, whitewashed brick walling and a gabled roof. The C19 portion has red brick walls laid in English garden wall bond with painted stone dressings and a hipped slate roof.

PLAN: the building is oriented east-west. The medieval part lies to the north and appears to have had an open hall of two or more bays with a cross passage. Soot blackening of timbers indicates an open fire initially. A cross-axial brick stack was inserted on the east side of the remaining central cruck, and a floor was inserted. Later the sides of the roof were raised and a shallow-pitch slate roof was imposed. To the south of this and parallel, is the mid-C19, two-storey public-house range.

EXTERIOR: the majority of the windows have been replaced with uPVC substitutes in the late-C20 or early C21.The south front, facing the road, has the projecting, mid-C19 range to the left. This has a stone band at the level of the first floor window sill, which runs around this part of the building. The left-hand bay projects. To far right and left at ground floor level are tripartite windows with splayed heads. To the centre are two doorways with stone surrounds. The right hand one, with brackets supporting a projecting lintel, was formerly the door, as indicated in early photographs. This has been partially blocked and a window has been imposed to its upper body. A former ground floor window opening to its left has now been adapted to form the entrance. At first floor level the four bays have splayed heads and are all of nine sash panes. The east end of this block is blind with a central stack with offsets. The western end has a similar central stack flanked by 16-pane sashes and there is a nine-pane sash to the first floor at left. The older portion, recessed and to the east of this, has whitewashed brick walling with a cogged band to the top of the wall. The brickwork and all openings appear to be of C18 or C19 date. At ground floor level are three casements and a door with cambered head. The first floor has a timber sign board. The east gable wall has a door with cambered head to right and a window with a similar head at top left, which may originally have been a taking in door to a hay loft. The north face of the building is largely masked by later additions, including a clapboarded garage at left, a flat roofed extension to the kitchen at centre and a lean-to extension at right. The ridge to this rear part is clearly warped, particularly at right, where the medieval timber is found in the interior. Two gabled dormers are set to the centre at first floor level. All fenestration on this front is of C20 date. The western gable wall has been rebuilt externally with C20 bricks.

INTERIOR: the C19 front range has a lobby entrance leading into the two bars. The eastern of these two bar rooms has some match board panelling below the dado, but no other original fittings. The bar has been rebuilt. The rear range contains three cruck trusses. None of these show signs of weathering and all are assumed to have been internal trusses of the original structure. The original end walls have both been lost. There is soot blackening to both sides of the easternmost truss and to the eastern side of the middle truss and all timbers are substantial. The most complete of the three is the easternmost truss. This has full cruck blades descending to the ground with a low tie beam, queen struts and a cranked collar. To the apex is a yoke. Both the collar and yoke are triple pegged and all other joints are double pegged. Doorways have been cut through part of the southern cruck blade at both levels. The middle cruck has lost its lower body, but the upper truss remains with a similar arrangement of yoke and cranked collar. The tie, which is set higher than in the eastern timber, has a wattle groove along its top edge. The western truss retains part of its northern blade, which can be seen at first floor level, and other fabric may be immured. A portion of plank and muntin screen to the lower body of the truss is evident at ground floor level, with a long tie above and part of the sill plate. The rest of the wall has been rebuilt in brick, but the tie, which extends for the full length of the wall, appears to have a two-centered door head at its north end. Trenches in the cruck blades indicate that the roof originally had a single, substantial purlin to each side. The roof was raised in the C18 or C19 and it appears that the original purlins were re-used. The ridge beam is not visible, but the undulation of the ridge, seen externally, may well indicate that the original timber is preserved in its original position.

Pursuant to s.1 (5) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 ('the Act') it is declared that the corrugated metal, lean-to garage attached to the eastern end of the north side of the building is not of special or architectural interest.

History

The original, timber-framed building, including three cruck trusses, appears to date from the C14 or C15. This probably had an open hall and a cross passage. Later alterations included the insertion of a first floor and a large chimney stack in the C15 or C16. The roof to this part was raised in the C18 or C19 with the retention of the original, sizeable purlins. An addition, in-line with this earlier structure, was added in the C18, to the eastern end. A further addition of brick was added in the early-mid C19 to the south, which provided a new entrance front.

Reasons for Listing

The Cross Keys, Kinnerley, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: the elements of the timber frame demonstrate quality in their carpentry and are likely to have formed part of a building of high status;
* Historic interest: the building lies at the heart of the medieval village of Kinnerley, close to the church, and contains substantial parts of three, large cruck trusses and other material of C14 or C15 date.

External Links

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