Fryerning Hall

Fryerning Hall is a substantial timber-framed house on Blackmore Road, Fryerning, first built in the early 15th century and extended repeatedly through the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The building is plastered and weatherboarded, roofed with handmade red clay tiles, and has a complex plan reflecting its growth over five centuries.

The earliest part is an early 15th-century main range of three bays facing southwest with an external stack to the rear of the middle bay. To its left is an early 16th-century cross-wing of two bays, originally with an external stack to the left of the front bay, now truncated. Behind the main range are two further wings of two bays each, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, incorporating a stairwell in the front bay of the left wing and a stack in the front bay of the right wing. A long lean-to extension forms a catslide to the left of the left wing. Beyond this are a 17th-century range of two bays, originally perhaps ancillary, with an internal stack, and a second ancillary range of two bays of one storey with attics. A 20th-century range extends further left. All parts are two storeys except the second ancillary range.

The southwest elevation displays 19th-century French windows below the jetty of the cross-wing and in the main range, plus one 19th-century Gothic pointed fixed light. The first floor has one early 19th-century sash window of 8+8 lights with crown glass and two 19th-century casements of 4+4 lights. An early 19th-century half-glazed door of nine panes with handmade glass and two flush panels sits in a gabled porch. The cross-wing roof is of unusually steep pitch. The cross-wing's upper storey has one early 19th-century sash of 6+6 lights and two small 19th-century casements on the left. At the rear of the adjacent rear wings is an early 19th-century half-glazed door matching that at the front. Most of the building is plastered, with elm weatherboarding visible to the left of the cross-wing and to the right of the rear wing, some now enclosed by the 20th-century extension.

Interior features include a 17th-century window at the head of the stair in the right rear wing, with one wrought-iron casement and one fixed light with small leaded diamond panes of handmade glass, not visible from outside.

The main range was originally constructed in two storeys with jowled posts ledged for the binding beams, curved tension braces trenched outside heavy studding, and interrupted tie-beam construction at the upper floor ends without evidence of original sill jointing. The right internal truss retains original studding; the left internal truss was originally open. This truss has short speres with arched braces. The spere posts, two braces and binding beam are chamfered in two orders with mitred stops, as are the cranked tie-beam and one of two arched braces to it, the other missing. Plain joists of unusually heavy horizontal section are jointed to the binding beam with unrefined central tenons, lodged at the left end and exposed in the two left bays, plastered to the soffits in the right bay; the right internal binding beam is boxed. The ground-floor hearth has a moulded mantel beam and contains some linenfold panelling moved from elsewhere; the first-floor hearth has a plain mantel beam and has been partly re-bricked. On the upper storey between the left and middle bays is an early 18th-century two-panel pine door; the right bay has similar moved linenfold panelling and an early 19th-century cast-iron grate. A crownpost roof has two axial braces from each of two crownposts. An unglazed window with one diamond mullion exists in the upper front wall of the right bay. This block is of unusual construction and high quality, meriting special care.

The cross-wing is built against the main range without studding in the ground floor internal wall, with a chamfered girt. The binding beam is boxed and joists are plastered to the soffits. The ground-floor hearth has an elaborately roll-moulded mantel beam, jowled posts, close studding, chamfered wallplates, and two blocked unglazed windows in the upper rear wall. The tie-beam is cambered and chamfered with step stops. A tall square crownpost survives with all three original axial braces to the collar purlin, with a gablet hip to the rear. The upper room is wholly lined with oak panelling of circa 1600 with a moulded oak cornice and is open to the roof; the upper hearth is blocked. Original rebated oak floorboards are complete. The stair is in three straight flights with serpentine flat balusters and moulded pine handrails, dating from the 17th century.

The rear wings are of plain construction, mostly plastered internally; where visible, the joists are plain and of vertical section, the posts unjowled. A wood-burning hearth has been reduced to accommodate a 20th-century grate.

This complex of buildings of different periods retains many original and early features and has been little altered since the early 19th century.