Bensons

Bensons is a house, likely dating from the 16th century, with remodeling in the 17th century and alterations and extensions in the 20th century. The house has a timber frame construction with fairly close studding and plastered panels. It is topped with a plain tile roof featuring gableted half-hipped ends. A rendered brick stack sits axially. The original layout was a three-bay plan, with the service end on the right (east) and the hall at the centre, both formerly open to the roof. The house is one storey in height with an attic.

The south front is asymmetrical and features three bays. A large, gabled two-storey bay window is located to the left of the centre. Single-storey bay windows, added in the 20th century, flank the central bay, all featuring 20th-century casements. A 20th-century glazed door is situated to the right of the centre. A 20th-century bay window extends from the left (west) end of the house, and there are 20th-century rendered single-storey outshuts at the rear.

Inside, the central room, formerly the hall, has a chamfered axial beam with bar stops and chamfered joists with stepped concave stops. A 20th-century brick fireplace has been added. The former service room on the right (east) is open to the roof (but ceiled above the collar), revealing curved wind-braces to clasped purlins. A partition between the service room and a former screens passage has a wide opening below a low tie-beam with straight braces and studding at either end, and is closed above with vertical studding. The room on the left (west) is now open to the roof, exposing a full-height partition at the high end of the hall with straight braces below a tie beam and studding. Jowled wall-posts, large low well-plates, and wall studding are exposed and lacking side girts. Only the roof space above the service end was accessible above the collars, showing common rafters that are not smoke-blackened.