The Marsh

The Marsh is a house dating back to the 14th century, with extensions from the 18th century and later additions in the late 20th century. It is timber-frame construction with tile and corrugated iron roofing; brick with tile roofing; and concrete block with tile roofing. The house has an L-shaped layout, with limbs extending to the west and north. The northern limb is 18th-century to the north end and 20th-century to the south, while the western limb retains a contemporary cross-wing. The west front of the later range has a dog-tooth brick cornice and two storeys, featuring two 2-light casement windows under segmental heads. The ground floor has one 2-light casement and two entrances with segmental heads and ledged and boarded doors. The 20th-century portion has a window on each floor immediately to the right of this range. The 14th-century timber-frame has been stripped to its structure. The interior of the hall comprises two main bays, with a cross-passage to the east end. The principal truss between the hall and passage features an arch-braced collar and a tie-beam; the soffit of the tie-beam shows empty mortices indicating the original positions of spere posts, which had angle braces up to the tie-beam. The wall panels were originally filled with wattle-and-daub. The central truss originally had a low-set collar with arch-braces from the wall-posts. Above the collar are two cusped raking struts, forming a central quatrefoil panel flanked by two trefoils. The intermediate truss in the upper bay is a simple arch-braced collar. The two tiers of purlins incorporate cusped wind-braces. Evidence remains of a former 4-light window in the south wall, with two diamond mullions preserved; the recorded louvre has been removed. The cross-wing has two framed bays and is floored, with large curved angle braces to both floors. The roof is of clasped purlin construction with simple curved wind-braces. A blocked entrance to the hall has an ogee head. A lateral stack on the west wall is constructed of ashlar with a brick shaft.