The Homestead

The Homestead is a house dating from the early 16th century, constructed with a timber frame, plaster rendered exterior, and a tiled roof. It features a stack slightly north of the ridge with some rebuilt upper courses and an external stack at the west end, which has two alabaster panels, each displaying a quatrefoil with a shield. The building has a single range of six bays, along with a narrower chimney bay, and stands two storeys high. The south side jetties at the first floor, except for the two bays at the west end, which have always been open at ground floor level, possibly having had an outshut that has since been demolished and replaced with modern brickwork.

There are three 19th-century windows at the first floor and three shuttered windows at the ground floor. A doorway leads to a cross-passage, with an opposing doorway in the north wall. The rear wall features a six-light window with hollow moulded mullions leading to the original hall, and at the first floor, there are two three-light diamond mullion windows. The east gable end has a window with shafted rectangular mullions.

Inside, the framing consists of substantial and uniform scantling with closely set studs. The structure includes shallow arch braced tie beams and a clasped side purlin roof with wind bracing. The spine beams and joists, particularly in the room at the east end of the house, have broad stop chamfers. The ground floor has clunch and brick inglenook hearths, while the first floor features small chamber hearths, including one with a four-centred arch, chamfered, made of clunch. The cross-passage retains a screen with an original doorway leading to the hall, which also has a four-centred arch. There are intersecting main beams in the room at the west end. A staircase leads off the cross-passage and may have been turned around at some point. A rebate for a doorway leading into the present staircase indicates a later alteration, although the staircase itself retains original solid wooden treads.