Baythorne Hall

Baythorne Hall is a raised aisled hall dating to around 1300, with alterations made in the 16th and 20th centuries. The building is timber-framed and plastered, with sections of the frame exposed, and has a roof covered in handmade red clay tiles. It comprises a two-bay aisled hall aligned northeast to southwest, facing southeast, with two contemporary two-bay crosswings that project forward. A chimney stack was inserted in the 16th century, along with a floor in the hall during the same period. Later rear extensions were added in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The building is two storeys high. The ground floor features a central tiled gabled porch, two bay windows, and two casement windows, all dating to the 20th century. The first floor has two late 18th and early 19th century double-hung sash windows with 16 lights, and two further windows in large gabled dormers. The gables have plain windows, indicating the attics are unused. Significant exposed timber framing is visible on the northeast crosswing, characterized by conspicuous curved bracing, doubled on the first floor and in the gable. Elsewhere on the front elevation, some framing is genuinely exposed, while other portions appear to be mock framing. Exposed framing is also present in the hall and northeast crosswing.

A cross-entry at the southwest end of the hall retains a two-centred rear doorhead, plain-chamfered externally, with the front door blocked. Twin service doorways also feature two-centred heads and jambs ovolo-moulded. A similar parlour doorway is found in the northeast crosswing. The floor of this crosswing is framed in three bays with unchamfered joists that are jointed to transverse beams using unrefined soffit tenons. These beams are supported by jowled samson posts in the side walls, independent of the storey posts. A crenellated and ovolo-moulded beam spans the full width of the hall at first-floor level, integrating with the frame and supporting aisle posts; it was once believed to be a later addition but is now recognized as original. The southeast arcade is complete and exposed, comprising four plain-chamfered arched arcade braces and side braces with similar curvature tying into the tiebeam and principal rafter. A similar arcade structure appears to be present in the northwest arcade, mostly concealed within partition walls.

An early 16th-century ceiling was inserted into the northeast crosswing above the first floor, featuring richly roll-moulded beams and joists with foliate stops. Within the hall roof, there is a cambered tiebeam and a central crownpost of octagonal section with a richly moulded cap and base, the latter taking a "water-holding" form, supported by four arched braces of square section. The roof structure is largely intact, except where interrupted by the inserted chimney stack; all timbers are heavily sooted. An original plaster partition exists at the northeast end of the hall roof, revealing exposed bracing similar to that on the front of the crosswing. Both crosswing roof structures are largely intact, with octagonal crownposts displaying simpler mouldings, but similar braces.

Baythorne Hall is an early manor house of exceptionally high quality and remarkable preservation, one of the earliest examples of a hall house with contemporary jettied crosswings, a form that later became widespread.