The Cottage

TL 7225-7325 PANFIELD HALL ROAD (north side) 7/11 The Cottage

_ II

House. C15 or earlier, altered in C16, C17 and C20. Timber framed, roughcast rendered, roof thatched. 2-bay hall facing S, with stack at left end, originally storeyed parlour/solar bay to right with C19 external stack at end, and C20 single-storey lean-to extension beyond. At left, late C17 2-bay extension, with hearth backing on to earlier stack. C20 flat-roofed extension to rear. One storey with attics. 3 C18 2-light windows each with one wrought iron casement and diamond leading, one smaller C18 fixed light at half-height, one C20 casement, and 2 similar 2-light windows in gabled dormers, one C18, one C17. At the sides and back there are 4 more C18 windows of similar type, mainly in their original positions. Door at front of gabled porch, C20. Jowled posts, heavy studding, 3 diamond mortises and shutter groove for unglazed window to solar in right end wall. Late C16 inserted floor in hall comprising chamfered transverse and longitudinal beams with lamb's tongue stops, and plain joists of horizontal section supported on pegged clamps. Crownpost roof, central tiebeam and crownpost missing, one axial brace in situ at right end, and wide down-bracing, incomplete display bracing, and original wattle and daub with diaper patterns on both sides. The hearth facing to right is blocked, mantel beam only exposed; bread oven within original hearth, iron door in situ but blocked, modern access. The hearth facing to left has an aperture for an external bread oven, removed; the mantel beam is carved with 3 shields of arms and dates 1347, 1510 and 1660, of unknown origin, probably C19/C20. The left extension has chamfered beams with runout stops and thin joists. 2 features suggest an origin for the hall house earlier than the C15 - the very wide and conspicuous bracing at the high end of the hall, and the fact that every roof collar is pegged to the collar- purlin. Examination of the scarfs in the wallplates would be necessary to confirm a C14 origin, and these are concealed by splints on the inside and plaster on the outside.

Listing NGR: TL7365225014