Old Court

SO 34 SW BREDWARDINE CP BREDWARDINE

6/22 Old Court 20/9/52

GV II*

Farmhouse. Second half of C14, with C16 to C20 alterations. Timber-frame clad entirely in coursed rubble with stone tufa dressings to stacks; stone slate roof. H-plan, service partly rebuilt in stone, upper end probably C16, hall with through passage; stacks: rear lateral stack to hall, side stack to service, also C19 rear gable stack. Two storeys, upper end to left has steps leading up to first floor granary entrance, ground floor left a C19 casement; hall: three 2-light casements to first floor, 3 similar casements to ground floor under segmental heads, door to left under late C19 stone slated porch; service wing has a segmental headed 16-pane sash with flush exposed sash box to each floor, the gable appears to have been rebuilt. Interior: Upper end: 2 roof trusses are both queen post trusses, apparently C16 in date. Hall: of 2 bays with spere truss to through passage, floor inserted in C16, ground floor also divided by timber-framed wall which cuts across the arch of the lateral stack. The hearth opening is heavily moulded, and is a 3-centred arch, apparently C14. The roof truss on the spere and the intermediate truss are now concealed by ceiling. Central truss: suspended king post of two parts clasping scissor braces, bottom end of king post sawn off; all openings filled with pierced tracery; spere truss has collar with raked queen struts below and V-struts in apex, all cusped so that each opening is a trefoil, but originally infilled; below tie there are cusped arch braces from spere posts to tie-beam forming trefoil arch, small braces between spere and wall-posts (the latter posts have been removed), spandrel filled with pierced tracery. Evidence that walls were formerly timber-frame is provided by the peg holes in the lower edge of the moulded wall-plate in the through passage. Two doors into the 2 rooms of service (all walls covered in plaster). Front service room has a little exposed framing, including main ceiling beam with deep chamfer, all beams covered in painted floral designs, one of studs with a lady, perhaps C14. The fireplaces on ground and first floor are both heavily moulded and could be C14. Roof not visible but probably renewed. M R Bismanis, 1975, Minor Domestic Architecture of the Middle Ages in the Counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire, Ph D Nottingham, pp 171-175, plate 32. RCHM I, pages 26-27, no 4.

Listing NGR: SO3352144772