Holbrooks

Holbrooks is a house dating back to approximately 1400, with alterations in the 18th century and extensions in the 20th. It is timber-framed, with plaster infill and a roof of handmade and machine-made red clay tiles. Originally aligned east-west, the building now faces north and comprises a range of three bays, which was originally the service cross-wing of a hall house extending to the south and facing east. An 18th-century external stack sits at the east end, against an underbuilt jetty, and a small 20th-century lean-to is attached to its south. A 20th-century external stack is located at the west end, and a 20th-century extension is on the north side of the middle and east bays, with a small 20th-century lean-to to the south. The house has two storeys, and all windows are 20th-century casements. A 20th-century door is in the north extension.

The interior features jowled posts and longitudinal heavy joists of almost square section, jointed to the binding beams with unrefined central tenons. A binding beam between the middle and west bays is deeply chamfered with mitred stops, along with mortices and a wattle groove for a former partition and an incomplete 4-centered doorhead in the south wall, one of a former pair of service doorways from the hall range. There is a wide wood-burning hearth recessed for a seat on each side. A scarf joint located in the south wallplate is edge-halved and bridled. Cambered tie-beams are also present. The tie-beam between the middle and west bays retains one of two arched braces. The roof is a crownpost roof with curved down-braces to both internal tie-beams and two axial braces in the middle bay. The original gablet hip at the west end is visible internally but gabled externally; the roof is complete in this bay and never had any axial braces. In the east bay, the collar-purlin has been replaced (axial braces are missing), and an axial beam from a former ceiling remains in place. Despite the modern external appearance, the building retains an unusually complete timber frame dating back to approximately 1400, and is worthy of careful conservation.