The Limes

THE LIMES

House on Station Road, Haddenham, built in three principal periods: the 16th century, mid-17th century, and early 19th century.

The 16th-century building stands at the south end, timber-framed with timber framing visible internally. It was cased in red brick during the 17th century (English bond at the rear) and re-fronted in early 19th-century Haddenham gault brick. The roof is plain tiled with some modern tiles and tumbled parapets. Originally the gable end faced the road; this was altered in the early 19th century when the roof was rebuilt in line with the main range. The building is two storeys, with early 19th-century recessed twelve-pane hung sashes on the front. The rear gable end was rebuilt in the 18th century in clear red brick, English bond, with two 18th-century cross frame casements. A projecting side stack on the south wall is of dark red brick with embattled offsets and two shafts linked at the capping. One corner of the first stage has a stop chamfer, now partly obscured, and is probably mid-17th century.

Interior details of the 16th-century wing include timber framing at first floor with a main post having a jowled head and closely set heavy studwork. Weathering on the north side indicates this wall was originally external. Framing for an oriel window of three lights remains intact. At ground floor, vacant mortices survive in the middle rail, with a chamfered middle rail on the south side above the inserted mid-17th-century stack. The ceiling features unmoulded joists of heavy scantling laid flat, with chamfered main beams. The roof over the rear is original, of clasped side purlin type, with another purlin inserted above during later rebuilding of the gables and wall.

The mid-17th-century principal range runs parallel to the road. It is of red brick in mainly English bond on a plinth, though the front was re-faced in early 19th-century Haddenham gault brick. The roof is gabled and was rebuilt in the 19th century; the original ridge stack was rebuilt above the ridge in gault brick. The building is two storeys with early 19th-century recessed twelve-pane hung sashes. The entrance features a round-headed arch within a square head, with a reeded doorcase with paterae enrichment, a panelled door, and glazing bars to the fanlight. The rear shows mid-17th-century brickwork with a plat band between storeys, segmental header arches to blocked window openings at first floor and to two coupled arches at ground floor. Much of the rear wall is obscured by an early 19th-century gault brick dining room and staircase extension with a hipped slate roof.

Interior details of the 17th-century range include ceiling beams and inglenook bressumers with ovolo moulding. There are abutting inglenooks; one contains a 19th-century cupboard with bead and quirk moulding, possibly originally a kitchen.

The early 19th-century extension comprises a dining room and staircase wing in gault brick with a hipped slate roof. The dining room has a tripartite hung sash and a round-headed stairlight sash. Early 19th-century recessed twelve-pane hung sashes appear elsewhere. A white marble fireplace surround, sliding shutters to the dining room, an open string staircase with winder, scrolls, tread ends and mahogany rail, paved and tiled floors, chamfered ceiling beams, and half-round and elliptical arches between rooms and as a screen between hall and staircase date to this period.

A domestic wing, probably added in the 19th century to the north end, is of orange brick with a plain tiled roof.