Start Farmhouse

Start Farmhouse is a cottage dating from around 1500, with extensions made in the 18th and 20th centuries. It is timber framed and plastered, with the frame exposed, and features a thatched roof. The building consists of two bays aligned approximately east to west, with a south-facing aspect and an external chimney stack from the 17th century at the eastern end. There is a northern extension at the eastern end, which forms an L-plan and dates to the 18th century. A lean-to extension is located in the northwest angle, roofed with handmade red clay pantiles. To the southeast, there is a weatherboarded shed, also roofed with red clay pantiles and Roman tiles.

The farmhouse is single storey with attics. The south elevation has a plain boarded door, two 19th-century casement windows, and one casement window in a swept dormer that is roofed with red clay Roman tiles from the 20th century. The roof is half-hipped only at the western end. The structure features jowled posts, curved tension bracing in the end wall, and arched bracing in the side walls, with trenched outside studs. The wallplates have edge-halved and bridled scarfs. The roof is of crownpost construction, with plastered soffits of collars and a central crownpost without braces. Originally, the eastern bay was open to the roof, while the western bay may have had a lodged floor. However, both current floors are 17th-century insertions, consisting of axial beams that are chamfered and stopped, with exposed joists supported on clamps. The northern extension has unjowled posts and a clasped purlin roof. The walls were weatherboarded until the early 20th century.