Little Rising

Little Rising

Little Rising is a timber-framed building of one-and-a-half storeys, extended in two phases during the late 20th century. The early ranges comprise a short main range orientated east-west with its principal elevation to the north, and a short gabled cross-wing at the west end. The later additions consist of a further cross-wing and garage to the east, together with a forward extension of the original cross-wing. A single-storey garden room is set against the rear wall of the main range.

The timber-framed construction features small, square framing with diagonal tension braces to both the main range and cross-wing. The cross-wing is gabled to front and rear. A small gabled dormer projects from the main range, and the brick chimney stack sits centrally at the junction of the main range and cross-wing. The late 20th-century extension to the east mirrors the form of the original building, incorporating a long bay adjacent to the main range with its own gabled dormer and central stack, and a gabled cross-wing at the east end. A single-storey lean-to garage adjoins the modern cross-wing, and a single-storey gabled range extends northwards from the ground floor of the timber-framed cross-wing. A glazed porch occupies the re-entrant angle where the modern sections meet.

The later extensions are rendered, as is the infill in the timber-framed ranges. Roofs are covered in plain clay tile. The fenestration is irregular, with mainly 20th-century multi-paned windows of varying sizes and styles. The west side of the building displays exposed square framing except where a small square bay window has been inserted at ground floor level. The rear elevation retains exposed square framing, partly enclosed within the late 20th-century garden room which is predominantly glazed.

Internally, the original building contains a single large room on the ground floor of the main range, dominated by a very large fireplace with timber lintel. The ground floor of the cross-wing is divided into two rooms. Timber-framed partitions survive throughout, and the ground-floor rooms feature chamfered and stopped beams with chamfered ceiling joists, though a number of these are more recent replacements. The staircase is modern and its original position is unclear; it stands against the north gable-end wall of the cross-wing. The first floor comprises a single large room within the main range and three areas within the cross-wing. The roof trusses have tie-beams, collars and twin purlins, with square framing to the internal and end trusses. The truss across the middle of the cross-wing features a low doorway with a shallow segmental-arched opening cut into the lower edge of the tie beam. The doorway between main range and cross-wing is taller, breaking through the tie beam above. The rooms within the late 20th-century extensions are of 20th-century character throughout and are not of special interest.