Outbuilding, At Wilbraham Temple

TL 5557 GREAT WILBRAHAM TEMPLE END

Outbuilding, at 14/122 Wilbraham Temple 31.8.62 (formerly listed as Outbuildings) GV II*

The solar wing of a manor house, late C15, associated with the Knights Hospitallers, successors to the Knights Templars from whom the site obtains its name. Now an outbuilding of Temple House. Timber frame, plaster rendered with plain tiled gabled roof. Single range in three bays, with later outshut at rear and stack inserted at same time between outshut and wing. Originally two storeys and attic, now two storeys. The three windows in the front and the doorway and window in the right hand gable end are all C19 or C20, but the doorway in the left hand gable end is original and has a four centred hollow moulded arch in a square head. There is a little inserted studwork in this gable end wall. Interior: Ground floor has ogee moulded intersecting main beams, and principal posts. The first floor is in three bays with the bay nearest the present house possibly a bed chamber and originally being divided from the centre bay by a partition wall and having an attic storey above and similarly divided from the other bays. Mortices for the studs of the partition wall are visible in the tie beam and in the collar. The wall plate in this bay is richly carved with a double cornice of double ogee moulding divided by a band of folded leaf ornament. The ceiling has been removed but the ends of the main beam over this bay survive in the tie beam and have hollow mouldings with a roll to the soffit. Similarly only the ends of the joists of the same ceiling remain in the wall plate and these have identical but smaller mouldings. The wall framing is of fine, close set, studwork. There is a tabled scarf joint in one wall plate. The other two bays at first floor level were open and there is no evidence of an attic storey above. There are plain chamfer stops to the wall plate and cambered tie beams. It is uncertain how this solar wing was heated. The inglenook in the ground floor is C17-C18 and possibly replaces an earlier hearth possibly the hearth of the hall. Above there are some signs of a fireplace, but the wall plate has pegholes at regular intervals indicating a framed wall. The roof is of tenoned side purlin construction with short curved wind braces between principals and the purlin. Both tie beams and collars are cambered. It is possible that this building formed part of the private apartments of a commandery of the Knights Hospitallers. R.C.H.M: Record card M. Wood: The English Medieval House H.P. Stokes: History of the Wilbraham Parishes (1926) p.29 V.C.H: II p.263

Listing NGR: TL5532157969