1 And 3, Duck Lane

A late 16th-century house, subdivided in the 19th century, stands on Duck Lane in Benington. It is timber-framed with roughcast rendering and a steep roof of old red tiles. Originally a three-cell, central-chimney, lobby-entry plan house facing south, it has a jetty at the east gable, now underbuilt. On the ground floor, the central hall features an ornate ceiling, with an unheated parlour to the east and a service room to the west of the chimney. A staircase was likely originally placed beside the chimney on the north side; however, in the 19th century, separate straight flights were added to the end rooms. The front has four window bays, with an old oak plank door in line with the chimney, a third from the west end. To the left is a rectangular bay window with a gabled porch over the door next to the west corner. To the right are three 3-light, flush casement windows. The eaves project with a plastered soffit. Inside, exposed close studding is visible, alongside curved tension braces. The parlour features chamfered axial joists. The hall has axial joists with a stop-chamfered joist on one side, and a double-roll moulded cross-beam above the fireplace (part of the chimney lintol remains for a now-blocked open fireplace). There are holes for bench supports in the partition at the upper end of the hall. A tie-beam has curved braces, and wall plates display edge-halved scarf joints with bridled butts. The roof is supported by a clasped-purlin structure, and original boarded doors with strap hinges are found in the larder and rear entrance. This is a small, two-story house of considerable quality.