Parsonage House

Parsonage House is a long house dating from the mid-16th century, with alterations made in the late 16th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The house is timber framed, with an exposed frame, plaster infill, brick nogging, and a roof of handmade red clay tiles. It is comprised of three bays aligned east to west, with a jettied southern side. A rear extension was added to the western bay in the late 16th century, blocking a former window, with a chimney stack at the junction. A stair tower with a lean-to roof sits in the angle of the rear extension, and a chimney stack is located at the rear of the middle bay, both dating to the late 16th century. A further rear extension was added in the 19th century, creating a half-H shaped plan. A conservatory connects the rear wings and was added in the 20th century. The house has two storeys. A 20th-century door is set within a tiled gabled porch. There are three 19th-century casement windows with Gothic heads on each floor. Four plain braces are visible below the jetty. The western chimney is distinguished by four round shafts, while the middle chimney has three octagonal shafts. Areas of herringbone brick nogging are apparent at the rear and on the east side of the western wing, suggesting the entire building may have been brick nogged in the 16th century; some has been plastered over and some replaced with plaster infill, consequently exposing most of the frame externally. Some original framing remains visible internally, featuring jowled posts and close studding. The house features axial beams with plain chamfers and horizontal joists. A studded partition between the western and middle bays of the ground floor has been removed. Five 16th-century brick hearths are present, four of which have depressed arches. The most notable hearth is located on the north ground floor of the western stack and features terracotta ornament including scrolls and mermaids, possibly imported from the Low Countries. It also boasts semi-octagonal shafts with moulded bases and an arched recess above the mantel. A ceiling was inserted above the first floor in the 17th century. The original roof is a clasped purlin roof with curved wind bracing. This building is of group value.