Moss Hall

Moss Hall is a manor house from the early 17th century. The building is timber-framed with rendered infill and brick, beneath a plain tile roof. It stands two storeys high with attics.

Entrance Front

The entrance front is arranged in five bays in a near-symmetrical E-shaped plan. The entire building sits on an ashlar plinth with a chamfered top. The timber framing is close-studded with a middle rail to both floors.

The central feature is a two-storey gabled porch wing, a later addition. The ground floor doorway has a moulded surround with dying stops. Inside the porch are pieces of 18th or early 19th century dado panelling and wall seats. The door itself has five panels and dates from the 17th century. The first floor of the porch is jettied, supported on carved brackets, with an ovolo-moulded bressumer. Decorative infill appears in the panels below the first floor window, which has four lights with an ovolo-moulded surround. A single-light window is set in the gable above.

The left and right hand flanks also have close-studding with a middle rail to each floor and jettied first floors with moulded bressumers supported by brackets. The ranges to either side originally had T-shaped windows set in close-studded walls. These windows had ogee-moulded surrounds and a row of thirteen lights above the middle rails, which combined to run across the whole of the upper walling, and five lower lights below an ogee-moulded transom at the centre. This arrangement also applied to the lateral projecting gabled bays, except that the left hand bay, which is less wide, has nine lights, the central three of which continue below the middle rail.

This overall arrangement has been altered by later insertions and blockings. At ground floor level to the right of the porchway, the central five lights have been replaced by a three-light 19th century casement window and the four lights to the upper wall at either side have been blocked. To the left, the central five lights have again been replaced by three 19th century lights and the four upper lights at the right have been extended below the middle rail down to the level of the central window's sill. The close studding and upper windows to the left of this have been replaced by new close studding which incorporates no window mullions.

To the first floor above these bays are, at left, a complete T-shaped window with five central lights and four upper lights to either side, all intact. To the right, this arrangement has been augmented by the lowering of the right hand upper lights so that they fall to the level of the central sill. The right hand projecting wing has central five-light transomed windows to both floors but the upper four-light windows at either side are all blocked.

Each of the four lateral bays is surmounted by a gable containing mullioned windows of two by two lights. All of these have been reduced by blocking the upper two lights. The gables and the first floor are jettied and have moulded bressumers and brackets. Ridge chimney stacks are positioned to the right of centre and to the right hand gabled wing.

Right Hand Side

The right hand side of the house has close-studded walling with a middle rail and an angle brace at the far right hand side. To the ground floor, a lean-to porch has been added at left and a garage door at right. To the first floor at left of centre is a jettied gabled bay which has close-studded walling and a three-light mullioned window to the gable with a single-light window above. To right and left of this are five-light mullioned windows with transoms, the right hand one of which has a 20th century three-light casement window inserted at centre, the left hand one now having blocked lateral lights. To left of this is a two-light window and at right are two three-light casement windows.

Left Hand Side and Rear

The left hand side of the house has at the right a massive chimney stack with a lower body of ashlar and brick above. The rear has a projecting wing at right with timber corner posts, brick infill and three-light 19th century casement windows to the ground and first floors. To the left of this is a lean-to of two storeys with a two-light window to the first floor. To the left hand side is a double-gabled wing with stone plinth and moulded bressumer on moulded brackets to the jettied first floor and fragments of timber framing to the upper wall of the right hand gable. The left hand flank of this wing has close studding with middle rail, and angle braces to the upper wall at first floor level. The recessed central portion has a massive chimney stack at right with offsets of ashlar to the lower body and rendered brick above.

Interior

The entrance through-passageway has run-through panelling to either side, that at left forming the only division between this and the present sitting room and having ashlar blocks to its lower body. The sitting room has two doors of twelve panels with strap hinges, that to the panelled wall having two decoratively moulded panels above the lintel. Running around the lower body of the outer wall and the panelled wall is a low continuous bench with turned legs and a chamfered and moulded rail. Jowelled posts support two ovolo-moulded ceiling beams, the jowels taking the form of moulded brackets. Small-framed walling is present to ground floor cross passage. Ovolo-moulded ceiling beams appear in two further ground floor rooms, one having jowelled wall posts and two similar wall posts set at either side of a 20th century brick hearth.

The parlour at front of the left hand projecting wing has an ashlar chimney piece with a moulded wooden surround with pilasters to either side resting on plinths with moulded central panels. The fluted pilasters have cabling to their lower bodies and egg-and-dart moulding to the capitals. Decorated moulded panels appear in line with the pilasters and between these are three round-arched panels painted with coats of arms. Moulding runs to the lintel above. Encased ceiling beams and panelling of possibly early 18th century date encase jowelled wall posts. A mid 18th century buffet cupboard on the wall opposite the fireplace has raised and fielded panelling to the double doors, a segmental pediment above and fitted shelves.

To the first floor above is a further panelled room with a similar fire surround and painted panelling with the single rail of run-through panelling to the lower body. A cupboard to right of hearth has swan's neck hinges. Moulded plaster cornice is present. The room across the passage from this has altered panelling.

The great chamber has two panels of plaster pargetting, one of heart shape enclosing bunches of grapes, the other showing a console from which are suspended three bunches of grapes. A large ashlar fire surround of the form seen elsewhere is present.

The through-passageway in the right hand wing at first floor level has small framing and plank doors with moulded vertical rails, one having an ovolo-moulded surround, the others having 18th century surrounds. The staircase has a turned newel of early 17th century date.

There are six ashlar fire surrounds, one to the ground floor and five to the first floor, all having four-centred moulded arches which die to a square base with octagonal bell stops and each having a cyma-moulded cornice above. These project into the room space to an unwonted degree in two of the rooms, indicating some possible remodelling of the house.

The attics show chamfered purlins and wind bracing. The roof also appears to have been remodelled with some principals cut through and others meeting without being jointed. The trusses also appear to have supported a wider roof at one stage.

One staircase balustrade has square newel posts supporting a chamfered banister rail and faceted ball finials. One further staircase balustrade has an ovolo-moulded hand rail and turned balustrade. The basement has a plank door and ovolo-moulded ceiling beams.

This is a surprisingly complete example of a gentleman's house of the early 17th century.