Claypit Hall

Claypit Hall is a farmhouse dating from the early to mid-17th century, with later additions and alterations. It is timber-framed with painted brick infill, some of which is in a herringbone pattern. Rebuilding and later additions are finished in a black and white painted style intended to imitate timber framing. The building features a painted brick plinth and slate roofs. The original house was built on a T-plan, consisting of a hall range, likely originally in three framed bays, with a gabled two-bay cross-wing projecting to the west. A catslide lean-to, dating to the 19th century and later converted into a conservatory, is attached to the south side of the cross-wing. A 19th-century addition is attached at right angles to the east of the hall range, and a lower 19th-century block range constructed of red sandstone (painted black and white to imitate timber) is attached to the north. The main range has two storeys with a gable-lit attic. The south end of the hall range exhibits a mixture of small square panels – five from cill to tie beam – and small rectangular panels – six from cill to tie beam – partially replaced by brick, with a long straight tension brace to the left. Inside the hall range is a queen-strut truss with four vertical struts from the tie beam to the collar, and projecting single-purlin ends. A 3-light casement, partly leaded, is located in the attic, with mid-20th-century casements on the ground floor. Similar framing is found on the east wall of the hall range, to the south of the 19th-century addition, although it has been rebuilt in brick to the north, revealing a gable that suggests an earlier range projected eastward at that point. Timber framing on the north gable end is partially concealed by a 19th-century addition, with square panels on the west wall. The gable end of the cross-wing features a truncated queen-strut truss with straight braces from wall posts to the tie beam. A red brick stack, with four attached and rebated shafts of star section (with a late 19th-century brick capping), is extruded from the roof slope on the west side of the hall range. There is also an internal end stack to the cross-wing. A cellar is located beneath the main range. Various 19th-century single-storey brick outbuildings are attached to the cross-wing, including a lean-to to the north which now contains the main entrance. Interior inspection was not possible during a resurvey in January 1987, but it is likely to be of interest.