Franklins Farmhouse

Franklin’s Farmhouse dates to the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is a timber-framed building, now plastered and roofed with handmade red clay tiles. The farmhouse comprises a short north-south block with a chimney stack at the north end, and a three-bay east-west block with an axial chimney stack at the east end of the middle bay, creating an irregular T-plan. There is also an external chimney stack at the west end. Later additions include a lean-to extension to the north, dating to the 19th century, and another in the northeast angle, from the 20th century.

The south elevation has two 20th-century casement windows, a plain door with an asbestos hood, and a gabled dormer containing a 20th-century casement window. The roof is half-hipped at both the east and west ends. Part of the timber frame is exposed internally. The north-south block has been altered but appears to consist of one-and-a-half bays, with the internal tie beam removed and jowled posts present. In the east wall of this block, an original doorhead with a flat top between two short-radius curves is visible. Below it is a recessed panel with an inscription reading "IOHN HA" and a rebus, followed by "ANNO DOMENOE 1583" (with the Ns and the figure 3 reversed), which now covers a blocked aperture, with a doorway to the south of it. An original doorway, leading into the east-west block, is also blocked.

Within the east-west block, an arched brace rising from the southeast corner post to the wallplate is visible through the wall covering, between the studs. The roof is of clasped purlin construction, with curved wind-bracing visible through the plaster. In the north wall of the west bay is a blocked window with three diamond mullions in situ. In the middle bay, an inserted floor has an axial beam, simply chamfered with bar stops. The joists are of vertical section, also simply chamfered, and are supported on pegged clamps. An original stair trap, fully pegged and chamfered, is located in the northeast corner. The development of the building is considered unclear, although the frame of the north-south block is largely exposed and most of the east-west block is lathed and plastered internally, with no signs of recent disturbance. The name is believed to derive from Eustace le Franklin, recorded in 1200, and the 1583 inscription is associated with John Haver, who held the freehold in that year.