The Claywood

The Claywood is a mid-18th century farmhouse, with alterations and an extension dating to around 1830. Constructed of brick, it has a two-span roof covered with slate to the front, featuring broad eaves and a shallow pitch, and plain tiles with gable end parapets to the rear. Both roof sections have end stacks. The building’s rectangular plan includes a rear 18th-century range that has been extended by a front 19th-century range. It has two storeys, an attic, and a cellar. The front elevation has three bays, with windows featuring gauged flat heads. The outer bays have 15-pane sashes on the ground floor and 16-pane sashes on the first floor. The central bay contains a large semi-circular arched recess. On the first floor, glazed double doors with a traceried fanlight lead onto a balcony supported by a moulded bressummer with a simple balustrade. Below the balcony, the entrance is flanked by engaged Doric columns, with panelled double doors and a traceried fanlight. Attic windows are located in the gable ends. Inside, the central hall has a large spiral staircase with a wreathed moulded handrail. The front ground floor rooms have elaborately moulded ceiling cornices; the cornice in the left room is decorated with a frieze of hops and wheat sheaves, while the cornice in the right room is decorated with a frieze of vine leaves.