Highfield House

Highfield House, Apthorpe Street, Fulbourn

A timber-framed house with plaster rendering and a thatched roof of long straw, dating from the mid to late 14th century with significant subsequent alterations and additions. The building has a mid to late 14th century open hall and crosswing plan with entry via a cross-passage in the crosswing. In the early 16th century, a floor and chimney stack were inserted into the low end of the open hall, abutting the cross-passage. At the same time, the opposing doorways in the cross-passage were sealed and a new doorway placed opposite the stack, converting the house to a lobby-entry type. The roof was raised during this period of alteration. An early 17th century crosswing was added to the left, and a kitchen wing of 17th to 18th century date, constructed in clunch with a tiled roof, adjoins the house to the rear.

The building is two storeys with a ridge stack of mid 17th century red brick with diagonally set grouped shafts. The fenestration is largely later: the hall has a casement at first floor and early 19th century hung sashes at ground floor. The present doorway to the lobby entry has an early 19th century panelled door. The right crosswing is jettied, with the jetty beam carried on four 14th century brackets, and includes one 20th century window at first floor on the site of an original opening. The left hand side wall retains a smaller window with modern glazing but an original rectangular mullion. Another 20th century window exists at ground floor. The left hand 17th century crosswing is also jettied with one window to each floor.

Interior features include chamfered and leaf-stopped main beams from the early 16th century inserted floor, which are visible. The lintel over the inglenook retains some original double roll moulding, though partly mutilated. The original 14th century rafters were re-used when the roof was raised, and show clear evidence of disturbance with clean pegs to the hipped joints. The late 14th century crosswing comprises two bays, originally floored, with the original main beam now supported by an inserted beam. The joists are laid flat and unmoulded. The inserted chimney stacks abut onto the original screens passage, substantial parts of which remain. The opposing sealed doorways have segmental arched heads. The middle beam of the screen has ogee moulding and forms the lintel to the service doorways, which have hollow moulded jambs. These doorways flank the screen proper, which features arched bracing with trefoil cusping in the spandrels. The crosswing retains an original crown-post roof with moulded capital and base to a tall octagonal column with four-way bracing. A small hearth was inserted into this solar in the 16th century, and a garderobe addition exists at the rear. The 17th century crosswing has ovolo moulding to the main beam and is cellared, with a roof of typical clasped side purlin construction of comparatively light scantling. The kitchen at the rear has a Queen Street roof of two bays.