The Tanhouse

A pair of timber-framed houses on a stone plinth, with brick and original wattle and daub infill panels. No 2 dates from the 16th century, while No 1 is 17th century, with 19th and 20th century additions and alterations to both. The very steep-pitched roof was formerly stone-tiled and is now covered with artificial slate. Three matching clustered angled square-plan ridge stacks of good quality brick serve the houses — two to No 2 and one to No 1.

The buildings are two storeys with an attic. The box-frame construction uses small framing with upper angled struts to the wallplate and decorative diagonal framing to the gables between tie beams and collars. The entrance front has predominantly 19th century 6-pane casements set between the vertical timbers. No 2 shows evidence of later window insertions which have caused some alteration to the horizontal beams, which have been dropped and raised to accommodate them. There are four windows on each floor to the main frontage, though internally two original windows with wooden diamond mullions survive. Each unit has a boarded door under a 19th or 20th century slated gabled hood. Weathering is visible to some gable end windows. Small rear lean-tos are present; that to No 1 has one wall possibly of early stone construction. The stone plinth to No 1 bearing the sill beam is stepped down to a lower level, causing the horizontal members of the timber-framing to slope downward and leaving the upper internal floor noticeably angled.

Interior of No 2

The timber-framing is virtually intact and of considerable interest. The heavy deep-chamfered cross beams and supporting posts are decorated in several styles. Most beams feature long bar stops. Some posts have half-round colonettes or roll-mouldings; others support arched braces, while some have roughly shaped capitals or corbels — all fairly roughly carved but showing pretensions to fashionable style. Joists are plain. Carpenters' marks are abundant and boldly executed. Wide old floorboards are present throughout.

The main central room (hall) opens from the door, with roughly equal space divided at the east end into two unheated rooms. An open stone fireplace has a deep timber lintel with a roughly roll-moulded edge; a bread oven is positioned to the left and an arched alcove to the right. A small cupboard with a door, possibly a spice cupboard, sits beside a beam end. Wooden winding stairs to the left of the fireplace (outside a later partition) have an uneven head to the doorway. Near first floor level is a blocked doorway with a segmental-arched head, created in the former outer wall to connect with the adjacent unit.

On the first floor, posts display different mouldings: one incorporates a rough pilaster and plinth, another features a pegged curved brace. The main upper room contains a stone fireplace with timber lintel. In the recess to the right of the fireplace is a blocked window with two triangular wooden mullions. An arched doorway leads to a further room, now divided to form two bedrooms. A further flight of stairs to the left of the fireplace ascends to the attic, where the walls display the stepped pattern formed by the internal face of the angled struts. A further blocked window with three diamond mullions is visible. The attic is open to the roof, which comprises tall trusses with a tie beam, arched braces, one row of hefty trenched purlins, and windbraces from wallplate level to purlins, tenoned into the trusses and purlins. The partition between the two attic rooms has complete wattle and daub infill with a segmental-arched doorhead. A gypsum plaster ceiling covers the outer room; the inner room has no ceiling with exposed joists, some of which have been replaced.

Interior of No 1

One main room occupies each floor. The ground floor room has a fireplace with a timber lintel blocked by a 20th century insert. A similar heavy cross beam with truncated bar stops is present; the joists are also chamfered and stopped. Most interior surfaces have been masked by wallcoverings or plaster. The ground floor may have a lime or ash floor. A shaped doorhead opens to a small rear room. A 19th century staircase leads to the upper floor, which is at a distinct angle; a chimney-breast is present but no visible fireplace in the main room, which has a small additional room divided off. Incomplete stairs to the attic allow views of the truss and wattle and daub partition.

These two houses represent a fine pair of timber-framed buildings. The 17th century No 1 was added in similar style to enlarge the earlier 16th century house, No 2. Both retain substantially complete and well-decorated frames.