Porters Farmhouse

Porters Farmhouse, High Roding

A manor house of exceptional quality, dating to around 1400 with significant alterations in the 16th century and ornamental additions around 1600. The building is timber-framed, plastered, with a tiled roof.

The original layout comprises a 2-bay hall with an integral storeyed service end to the north, and a contemporary 2-bay parlour/solar crosswing to the south, jettied to the west. In the mid-16th century, a chimney stack was inserted in the north bay of the hall, positioned clear of the cross-entry, and a floor was inserted above. A stair tower was added in the east angle, also 16th century. An external chimney stack was built on the south wall of the crosswing, dated 16th century. A large dormer was inserted in the south bay of the hall around 1600, and windows were renewed elsewhere at the same period.

The west elevation displays two 20th-century casement windows and a front door on the ground floor. A large oriel window in the crosswing, dating to around 1600, is mullioned and transomed with ovolo mouldings, containing 13 fixed lights and one wrought-iron casement. On the first floor, an oriel in the service bay has a single carved bracket and a 20th-century casement; a large oriel dormer with a pedimented gable and carved pendants contains a 20th-century casement; and an oriel window in the crosswing has a pedimental gable, carved pendants and 20th-century casements. The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England reported that the last bore a repainted date of 1652, though this is no longer visible.

The timber framing, partly exposed internally, exhibits close studding with external bracing. The original cross-entry remains, though the front and rear doorheads are missing. Twin doorways to service rooms have 4-centred doorheads, now blocked but exposed. A doorway in the southeast corner of the hall, opening to the parlour, retains its 4-centred doorhead and is still in use. A remarkable survival is the backrest of a settle extending across the full width of the south wall of the hall, 53 centimetres deep, with a band of carved chevrons and concentric circles running along the top edge.

The roof structure is virtually complete and of crownpost construction. Chamfered arch-braces support the cambered tiebeam over the hall. Cross-quadrate crownposts, each with four arch braces, sit over the centre of the crosswing and hall; the hall post is heavily smoke-blackened. The collar-purlin over the hall is broken but otherwise runs uninterrupted, passing close to the inserted chimney stack. Some rafters were severed in the 16th century to accommodate the inserted stack and dormer, but otherwise the rafters are complete and carry a good series of carpenter's assembly marks. Original patterned daub survives at both ends of the hall, heavily smoke-blackened. Carpenter's assembly marks appear on studs at the south end of the hall, forming a complete series. Moulded wallposts and binding joist in the crosswing are detailed with ogee and quarter-circle mouldings. Stop-chamfered beams appear on the first floor.

The large ground-floor oriel window in the crosswing is complete in all particulars, including its contemporary wrought-iron casement with spring latch on a decorated plate—a rare survival. The upper oriel survives structurally but has been adapted with 20th-century casements. One ovolo-moulded window has been inserted on the east of the ground floor, and another on the south of the upper floor. Ovolo mouldings with small concave details above and below, attached with handmade nails, run around the ceilings of the hall and crosswing.

An octagonal newel post in the stair tower, sawn off at the top, has treads renewed in their original positions, possibly over original treads. The inserted chimney stack contains a ground-floor hearth 3.35 metres wide—an exceptional width—subsequently reduced for a later fireplace. The Royal Commission reported that the upper hearth retains its original moulded mantel beam.

This manor house has retained more original medieval features unchanged than are known elsewhere in Essex, making it of exceptional historical importance. It underwent one major series of alterations in the 16th century, culminating in a programme of ornamental features around 1600, which have survived in remarkably intact condition. The repainted date of 1652 reported by the Royal Commission is difficult to reconcile with any major building phase.

The house was reported to be in poor condition around 1920 but has since been kept weathertight with only very minor alterations, making it a valuable source of historical information on two periods of domestic architecture where evidence is elsewhere fragmentary.