Suffolk House

Suffolk House is a house dating from the 17th century, with alterations from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and extensions in the 20th century. It is timber-framed, with weatherboard cladding, and a roof of handmade red clay tiles. Originally, the house consisted of a two-bay range, extending to the rear, a central chimney bay and one bay to the right, forming a lobby-entrance plan. Later alterations included the removal of the central stack, the addition of external stacks to the left and right, and a one-bay extension to the rear right, converting the original L-shaped layout to a rectangular plan. The house now has two storeys. There are two 20th-century single-storey extensions to the rear right, and a 20th-century two-storey wing to the rear left. The front elevation features two 20th-century sash windows on each floor, with rectangular leading. A central, gabled 20th-century porch with a half-glazed door is present at the front. The roof is hipped. Inside, the front right ground-floor room retains an original chamfered axial beam with unusual double-concave stops (“run-out stops”), joists plastered to the soffits, original girts, and a 20th-century grate. The front left ground-floor room displays exposed plain joists of vertical section and a small hearth. Original studding is visible at the rear of the left room. A large stair hall was created in the original rear bay by removing the joists. The structure includes primary straight wall bracing.