Porch House

TL 47 NE HADDENHAM HILL ROAD (North side) 8/15 Porch House 5.2.52 II

House. 1657. Red brick, English bond, on plinth with bull nose header brick to upper edge. Plain tiled roof with saw tooth eaves cornice and parapet on kneelers to west gable. Ridge stack has square base and four diagonally set grouped shafts. Original stack at east end has been rebuilt, retaining dentil corbel table. Lobby entry plan with contemporary porch on the front and outshut at the rear. Two storeys with two brick plat band between. Two storey porch. Hipped plain tiled roof with similar eaves cornice and plat band brickwork carried round from the house front. The front wall band however is of moulded brickwork. One modern leaded light casement to each side of first floor of porch. Original doorway in round headed arch with pedimented doorcase of moulded brick, on pilasters with moulded capitals and bases. Dated stone panel, chamfered, to the tympanum and a corbel to the lower edge of the pediment. The house has three modern first floor leaded light casements and three at ground floor. Gable ends with original window openings under elliptical header brick arches. The outshut has been partly rebuilt but the east end wall is original and retains the original dairy or scullery doorway. Interior. Abutting hearths, one an inglenook to the hall having salt and spice ledges. A parlour on the west side has a smaller hearth now with modern surround. The ceiling frame is exposed. A main beam has ovolo moulding and ogee stop chamfers. The joists are unmoulded. The hall has similar moulding to the main beam. A kitchen at the east end has an inglenook and plain stop chamfered main beam. There is a bread oven possibly later at the rear of the inglenook. At first floor a chamber in the room at the west end has an original fireplace under an arched head with moulding. There is part of a marble frieze above. In the 1650s an Act of Parliament was passed to promote the drainage of part of Haddenham Parish. This house is believed to have been built to accommodate one ofthe engineers employed on the scheme.

Listing NGR: TL4511475640