Gate House Farmhouse

The house at Gate House Farm is a timber-framed farmhouse, dating to the mid-16th century, with later extensions in the late 16th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The original core is a 5-bay range, originally facing south, with a central stack against the south wall. A 2-bay extension was added to the west in the late 16th century, facing north, with an external stack. A single-storey brick extension was added in the 19th century beyond the western extension. A further 3-bay service range dating to the 18th century stands to the south of the late 16th century extension, with a single-storey extension of painted brick added in the 19th century. The original range has a continuous jetty to the south, but the house now faces north. The north elevation has a five-window range of 20th-century casements. A 20th-century boarded door is located below the jetty of the late 16th century extension, with a moulded bressummer and two carved brackets. The stack to the right of the door has crenellated sloping offsets and a 19th-century shaft. The south elevation features four 20th-century casements on the ground floor, three on the first floor, and one 18th-century window with three fixed lights, moulded mullions, and rectangular leading. Four plain brackets support the south jetty. Shaped sprockets are visible below the eaves of the late 16th century extension, and along the south elevation, with some along the north elevation of the original range. Jowled posts are present. Inside the original range, there are chamfered axial and transverse beams, some with step stops. Other features include edge-halved and bridled scarfs in the wallplates, grooves for sliding shutters, cambered tiebeams, and high clasped purlins with arched wind-bracing. There are two wood-burning hearths, one lined with 20th-century yellow bricks, and one blocked for a 20th-century grate. The attic is fully floored with rebated hardwood boards. The late 16th century extension contains a chamfered beam with lamb's tongue stops. The roof of this section has been raised approximately 0.5 metre to form a gable facing north. The 18th-century wing has unjowled posts; tiebeams have been severed for doorways. It contains a wide wood-burning hearth converted for a stove and chamfered axial beams with lamb's tongue stops above the first floor only. A firemark from the Sun Fire Office (no. 609807) was found and is exhibited in this wing. The house was shown on a 1731 map as 'Coggeshall Gate House'.