The Hyde And Adjoining Hop Kiln

Farmhouse and adjoining hop kiln, now part of the farmhouse, located on the west side of Bromyard Road in Stoke Bliss. The building dates from the 14th century, with alterations made in the late 16th century, mid to late 19th century, and late 20th century.

The structure is constructed of coursed dressed rubble with ashlar dressings, some brickwork and timber-framing, with plain tiled roofs featuring bargeboards and moulded pendant finials at the gable ends. The main roof has a group of four brick stacks with joint cap, and there is also a brick stack at the south-west end.

This is a base-cruck hall house with cross-wings. The hall comprises three main bays measuring 34 feet 9 inches by 19 feet 9 inches, aligned north-west to south-east. A large inserted chimney to the south-west of centre forms a baffle-entrance, and an external chimney with tall brick stack is positioned on the south-east elevation. The solar wing at the south-west end has three bays, whilst the service wing at the north-east end has two bays. The building is partly single storey with attic and dormers, and partly two storeys.

Externally, timber-framing is not visible except on the south-east gable end of the service wing, which shows a collar and tie-beam truss with three struts below the collar and a V-strut above. The north-east front elevation features mainly 20th-century casement windows with cambered heads and dropped keyblocks. The hall has two large and one small 3-light casement on the ground floor and a narrow pointed 14th-century window with large and small trefoil openings in the arched head. Three gabled dormers with 2-light casements are present. A central gabled 19th-century porch with chamfered pointed doorway and 20th-century door provides access; within is a 19th-century door with transom light containing 14th-century oak tracery. The solar wing gable end has ground and first floor 3-light casements and a pointed leaded attic light. The service wing gable end has 2-light casements on both floors and half-glazed double doors to the left. A small adjoining wing with ground floor square window and skylight links the farmhouse to the former hop kiln. The hop kiln is square in plan with a gabled roof and cowl, featuring a 2-light ground floor window and rectangular first floor window.

The interior contains fine examples of 14th-century open timber roofs. The base crucks of the hall roof are massive and heavily moulded. Each bay has an intermediate truss with the lower section of the principal rafters cut back. There are two tiers of slender purlins and large heavily cusped wind-braces. Each massive knee brace has a capital carved into its lower vertical section with carving continued up to the cruck to conceal the joint. The spere truss is of lighter construction but of the same date. The solar wing roof, though much smaller, displays similarly fine detailing with arch-braced collar and tie-beam trusses, cusped wind-braces and cambered ceiling beams. The main beams are painted with abstract designs, and a wall panel retains remains of a blue floral design. The building contains some remains of 16th and 17th-century panelling, a 17th-century oak winder staircase in the solar wing, and a large fireplace.

The Hyde is one of the earliest hall and cross-wing houses in the county and the most complete and monumental of the two surviving base-cruck halls in Worcestershire.