Brook Farmhouse

TM 1827-1927 7/39

GREAT OAKLEY STONES GREEN ROAD (north side) Brook Farmhouse

II

House. C16, extended in early C19 and C20. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. 2 bays facing E, with internal stack in rear part of right bay, and 2-bay crosswing to right. 3-bay rear wing behind stack, forming a T-plan. Early CL9 brick extension with slate roof in rear right angle, and C20 lean-to conservatory to rear. Large C20 extension to right. 2 storeys. Ground floor, 4 C20 casements. First floor, one C20 casement, and 2 more in gabled dormers. 6-panel door in fluted doorcase with canopy on scrolled brackets, 1985. Pentice board on gable. Roof half-hipped at left end. The main range has chamfered transverse and axial beams with lamb's tongue and notch stops, edge-halved and bridled scarfs in the wallplates, and a framed newel stair with at the top a moulded handrail and serpentine splat balusters, c.1600. The wood-burning hearth facing to left is much rebuilt; the wood-burning hearth facing to right is reduced in width, but still wide; the mantel beam is chamfered with a similar stop at one end. The crosswing has an axial beam with C20 chamfers; plain joists of square section are jointed to it on one side with soffit tenons with diminished haunches, on the other side with unrefined soffit tenons. The first-floor room of the crosswing has a chamfered tiebeam with lamb's tongue stops, and is fully lined with pine panelling, late C17/early C18. Against the attic stair is a small area of guilloche combed plaster. The rear wing has a chamfered axial beam with lamb's tongue and notch stops, and a face-halved and bladed scarf in one wallplate. Simple edge-halved scarfs opposite each other in both wallplates indicate that it has been extended to the rear. A panel of stick wattle and daub is exposed behind glass. All the roofs are of clasped purlin construction. The newel stair may have been built against the stack originally, forming a lobby-entrance. The rear wing, with bladed scarfs, was constructed c.1600, and later extended. RCHM 11.

Listing NGR: TM1859127104