Gable End

Gable End is a medieval timber-framed house with later alterations, combining two ranges that form a T-shaped plan. The building has ironstone facing with some brick and render to the western elevation, dressed stone and timber windows, and red-brick chimney stacks, one on a stone base with a cornice. The roofs are covered in plain clay tiles.

The house consists of two ranges: an earlier east-west range of four bays and a later north-south range of three and a half bays. A through-passage runs north-south in the narrow westernmost bay of the east-west range. A later single-storey addition occupies the re-entrant angle between the ranges to the south. The stair rises in the north-south range between the inserted stack and the through-passage.

EXTERIOR

Both ranges are two storeys, with the north-south range having a slightly higher roofline than the earlier east-west range. The elevations are largely ironstone rubble of various sizes and squaring. A small area of render and brick infill marks the remaining timber frame at first-floor level on the western elevation.

The main front, to the north, includes the long elevation of the earlier east-west range and the slightly higher cross-wing formed by the north-south range. The east-west range has two ground-floor windows, each a three-light casement with rectangular panes and metal glazing bars under painted timber lintels. Above the right-hand window is a higher, wider timber lintel, which probably marks the height of the former hall window. A square brick ridge stack sits towards the western end of the roof.

Set into the angle between the two ranges is a 20th-century lean-to porch with a glazed door. Above this porch is a small single-light window in a chamfered stone surround. To the right, in the ground-floor eastern wall of the cross-wing, is a two-light diagonally-chamfered stone-mullioned window with a hood mould. The gable end has a similar four-light window at ground floor, with a three-light timber casement window with rectangular leaded glazing above under a painted timber lintel. A large square stone stack emerges from the ridge with a cornice, above which are four smaller conjoined square brick stacks.

The eastern gable end of the east-west range has high coped verges and a rectangular-glazed timber casement window similar to those elsewhere. Below and to the left is a much later replacement window made up to fit an earlier opening.

The rear southern elevation of the east-west range has two casement windows set under the eaves, one of three lights and another of two, with a later two-light casement below. The rest of the elevation is obscured by a 20th-century sun-room set into the angle. The first floor of the south gable end of the north-south range has a timber casement with rectangular leaded glazing under a timber lintel. The ground floor is otherwise obscured by later service rooms with a flat roof continuing from the sun room. The windows of the single-storey extensions are all 20th-century examples.

The western elevation was not accessible at the time of inspection but appears to retain evidence of the former timber frame at first floor, now with brick infill and some render. There is a timber casement window with rectangular leaded glazing at ground floor.

INTERIOR

The principal entrance through the main elevation leads into the modern porch, behind which is an 18th-century pegged doorway with an 18th-century flush-fielded door with later coloured glass inserted into the top panels. The rear door is a 19th-century plank and batten door set within another 18th-century pegged doorframe with moulding to the margins. The interior of the sun room extension has 20th-century finishes and structure but preserves in its interior the former southern and western corner of the external wall of the cross-wing.

The through-passage has a terracotta tiled floor and is open to the right to allow access to the stair in the cross-wing between the stack and the through-passage. There are two ground-floor rooms in the cross-wing, one either side of the stack.

The kitchen to the south has an early flagstone floor, exposed ceiling beam and joists of irregular scantling, and a wide fireplace opening under a chamfered timber bressumer supported on stone piers. The beams are broad and deep without decoration. The fireplace has been modified by the insertion of a later partition to create a smaller opening. There is a small window set in the former external wall between the kitchen and the modern sun room, which is a single-light metal window with three panes and a diamond-set timber mullion.

Beyond the stair, which is a steep flight with treads and risers, a door gives access to the dining room occupying the northern half of the wing. The room has exposed ceiling beams and joists and a wide stone fireplace with a moulded four-centred arch, moulded spandrels, and chamfers to the lower part of the uprights. Above this is a timber bressumer set high in the wall above a few courses of squared and coursed stone. Both windows are stone with chamfered mullions.

The stair gives access to the landing over the through-passage, with doors to the two bedrooms in the cross-wing. One door is a 17th-century plank and batten example. Between the doorways, along the line of the passage, there is a close-studded timber screen with one later replacement upright, the others with large and clear carpenter's marks at the joints.

Both first-floor rooms have exposed roof trusses demonstrating extensive smoke blackening. There are also some exposed jowled wall posts and curved braces. The northern room has a fireplace with a very shallow three-centred arched stone lintel with a simple chamfer set on very large stone uprights, which is earlier than the example in the dining room below. The fireplace is lined in brick. The western wall has exposed close upright studding indicating the survival of the timber frame to this section of the building.

The roof of the cross-wing has four visible trusses, between which the structure is formed from paired common rafters and single purlins without a ridge-piece. The trusses vary in design. The southern room has a former closed truss to the south with paired principal rafters, tie-beam, collar and queen posts, with upright studding above and below the collar, and an arched brace between the jowled wall-post and the tie beam. The truss to the north of this is an open truss, indicating it was above the open hall before the wing was divided horizontally. It has paired principal rafters and an arch-braced, roughly four-centred-arched tie beam with queen posts to a similarly-arched collar. There are curved wind-braces between the purlins and principals. The roof of this room is complicated by the exposed common rafters of the earlier range, which adjoins it at right angles and has undergone some modifications to accommodate the junction with the later wing.

The northern room has two trusses: a mid-truss and an end truss. The mid-truss was also an open truss above the open hall. It is a simple A-frame with paired principal rafters and a collar with struts above the collar. There are curved wind braces between the purlin and principal on either side. The other exposed truss is an end truss to the north end, of queen-post construction. The rooms have previously been ceiled at the level of the wall tops, and there are long lateral beams with chamfers surviving along each room with notches for joists.

The earlier range running east-west is accessed on the ground floor from the through-passage which forms its narrow western bay. The range is divided into two rooms and the through-passage. The western room is the only heated room; its fireplace has a chamfered timber bressumer over and has been narrowed from its original span, with the uprights rebuilt in squared and coursed stone. This has created a recess to the right-hand side. The ceiling of this room dates from the 17th century and consists of a lateral and a transverse beam forming a cross; the beams are deeply-chamfered and have elaborate broach stops. There are exposed joists between the beams.

The inner room, which might represent the service end of the former hall-house, is set at a slightly different level, indicating it was ceiled at a different date. The beams have shallow chamfers and are less regular than those in the adjoining room.

The first floor of this range has a landing over the through-passage and is divided into two rooms, with a bathroom set in the area to the rear of the stack. One room retains some wide floorboards. There is no evidence of the survival of the timber frame in the walls of this range, but parts of the roof evidently survive, though it is ceiled above the collars. There is an A-frame mid-truss whose tie-beam has been removed, and a collar. There is evidence in the purlins that there were formerly curved wind braces along the range. The remaining elements of the roof demonstrate good evidence of smoke-blackening.