Porters Yard

Three houses, originally a single house, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. They are timber framed and plastered, with gabled peg tile roofs. The building has an ‘H’ plan form, originally a hall house with two-storey crosswings at each end and a single-storey hall block in between. The hall block has a lean-to dormer with a peg tile roof at the front, and a small gabled dormer within the front roof slope. The rear of this block features a large peg tile roofed, lean-to dormer and a single-storey lean-to extension with a large 17th-century red brick stack, partially rebuilt in the 20th century. The eastern crosswing was extended forward to the road frontage and features a central plastered gable and stack. The western crosswing (No. 2) has a 20th-century peg tile roofed lean-to porch extension and a central ridge line stack. The windows are a mix of 19th and 20th-century painted timber casements of varying designs. Internally, the open hall comprises two unequal bays, with an inserted floor and stack, and traces of a mullioned hall window. The roof is supported by crown posts and is heavily soot blackened, featuring four-way bracing. The west crosswing appears contemporary and exhibits a heavy frame with short, thick tie beam braces. The east crosswing, dating to the early 15th century, was originally jettied on the north and south sides, with central tenoned floor joists and halved and bridled scarf joints. There are remains of service doors between this crosswing and the hall.