Malton Farmhouse

Malton Farmhouse is a timber-framed house of fifteenth-century origin with a complex building history spanning five centuries. It stands as the only remaining building from the former village of Malton, located near a moated site.

The house originated in the fifteenth century as an open-hall structure with a north-east crosswing. Early sixteenth-century alterations were extensive: a ceiling was inserted into the open-hall, a chimney was added to the south-east side, the roof over the hall was raised, and a south-west crosswing was possibly added. A pantiled range on the south-east side dates from the seventeenth or eighteenth century and was remodelled in the nineteenth century. The medieval and sixteenth-century parts received nineteenth-century fenestration.

The building is constructed of timber frame with plaster rendering and a tiled roof. An early red brick chimney stack stands on the south-east side of the hall, with later stacks serving the crosswing and south-east range.

The exterior plan has evolved considerably. The original fifteenth-century layout comprised a hall with north-east crosswing. By the sixteenth century, this had become a double-end hall house. The present arrangement consists of two parallel adjoining ranges separated by a valley gutter between two roofs.

The fifteenth-century house is of two storeys. Three flush frame hung sashes of sixteen panes occupy the first floor; two further nineteenth-century and later windows are at ground floor. Two doorways have nineteenth-century narrow hoods on shaped brackets, one opening to the former cross-passage between hall and crosswing.

The north-east crosswing is two storeys, with the first floor possibly originally jettied. The original roof remains intact, although the sixteenth-century raised roof of the hall range was built over parts of the crosswing roof. Two bays and part of a bay are visible. One sixteen-pane hung sash appears at first floor.

The south-west crosswing also rises to two storeys with a first floor possibly originally jettied at both ends. Part of its roof at the north-west end was incorporated into the hall's roof raising.

The south-east range features nineteenth-century gault brick casing over an earlier addition to the fifteenth-century house. This section is slated with end stacks, of two storeys and attic. It displays a range of four recessed sixteen-pane hung sashes at first floor, larger similar windows at ground floor, and nine-pane hung sashes to the attic.

The interior preserves substantial medieval fabric. The open-hall occupies two bays and retains an early sixteenth-century roof incorporating smoke-blackened rafters from the fifteenth-century structure. The roof was raised at the same time the floor was inserted. The south-east wall of the hall exposes original framing showing the open hall's original plate. The contemporary north-east crosswing stands at lower eaves and ridge height.

The inserted floor, dating to circa 1510, displays roll moulding and leaf stops to joists and main beams. Soft red brick forming a side stack was inserted probably at the same time, now housing an early eighteenth-century fireplace that has been reset. A partition wall between the cross-passage and hall, probably located where the original screen stood, has been removed. At first floor, the thickened head of one principal post associated with a display truss remains visible.

The north-east crosswing contains at ground floor two adjacent three-centred arches, originally divided by a partition wall, leading from the cross-passage to service rooms. Heavy unmoulded joists, laid flat, form the ceiling of this room. The present staircase to the first-floor chamber possibly occupies the site of the original. Arch bracing, now removed, originally supported a cambered central tie beam with chamfered crown-post. The original rafters of the roof are intact. At the south-east end, now concealed by a later addition, is a four-light diamond mullion window.

The south-west crosswing displays short arch bracing to a tie beam visible at the south-east end, with the roof constructed in clasped side purlin fashion.

The south range, parallel to the medieval house, is of uncertain date. Its ground-floor rooms contain intersecting main beams, now boxed.

The house was probably built for William Horn (died 1469) or his son. It was acquired by Lady Margaret Beaufort and given by her to Christ's College, Cambridge in 1505-6. Building work was carried out there under the terms of her Will.