Westfield

Westfield

House of 16th century origin, remodelled and greatly enlarged in the mid 17th century. Long and irregular in plan, facing north. The building is timber-framed and red brick with old red tiled roofs.

The oldest part, to the east of a central chimney, is a two-bay former open hall with a tension brace. The east wall has a rebated doorway and a chamfered window jamb at first floor level, originally providing entry to a storeyed wing to the east (now replaced by a large rectangular three-storey 17th century wing). The hall contains an inserted floor on chamfered cross beams and a large central chimney with back-to-back fireplaces within its lower western end. An entrance lobby on the north side is now protected by a gabled enclosed brick porch dated 1846 (inscribed on brick).

To the west of the chimney is a lower, two-storey timber-framed two-bay section, plastered with a weatherboarded apron. The first floor has a three-light early 18th century mullioned leaded lattice window with an iron casement.

A single-storey kitchen on the west contains a three-light 17th century window with ovolo moulding and is entered from a cross passage on the west, which is separately roofed. A fine red brick brewhouse of 17th century date terminates the range on the west, with contemporary brick east projections enclosing the cross passage, from which it is entered. The brewhouse has a half-hipped old red tile roof and an inserted red brick chimney inside against the west gable. The interior is open to roof with trimming for a central louvre in its three-bay clasped purlin roof. Original diamond-mullioned unglazed wooden windows of three lights are at high level on the south (blocked internally) and four lights on the north. A small square opening high in the west gable is blocked by a later chimney. A tall cast iron pump fixed to the outside north wall serves a well dated 1832.

The large mid 17th century east wing has red brick on the ground floor and two upper floors with thin timber frame and diagonal braces exposed externally with plastered panels. It has a hipped old red tile roof with coved eaves. Blocked doorways on the east front suggest an original three-storey porch, now replaced by an off-centre timber-framed gabled porch of possibly 19th century date, with benches inside. The upper floors contain 19th century sash or casement windows. A carved wooden oriel on the south was inserted in the early 20th century in place of a 19th century canted bay window. On each floor, the plan comprises a main room on the south and a lesser room on the north with a staircase and lobby in the north-west corner.

The interior contains a very fine oak dog-leg stair with carved asymmetrical flat balusters and elaborate newel finials running through all floors and to the former attic. A blocked three-light ovolo-moulded mullioned window is on the attic landing. The ground floor main room has a fine four-centred arched brick fireplace on the west and an elaborate ceiling beam with double ovolo moulding with stops carved with a bar, lozenge and fleur-de-lis motif. The first floor room has a similarly moulded beam. The top floor smaller room has painted simulated panelling of red stiles and rails. The plank doors have a moulded sunk panel on the room side. The hall contains 17th century oak panelling and cupboards with H hinges. Cupboard doors on the south of the fireplace have a painted central motif of a red oval framed in arabesques, suggested by E Clive Rouse to date from around 1635.

This house may be the grange called Caldwyns mentioned in the 16th century, which gave an alternative name to the manor of the Castle of Cailes.