May Cottage And Gouldburn

TL 4321 LITTLE HADHAM THE FORD (east side) Hadham Ford

9/16 May Cottage and Gouldburn -

GV II* House, now 2 houses. C15 or earlier, N part (May Cottage) C16. 2 storeys, timberframed, plastered, facing W, now 2 properties. Steep old red tile gabled roof. Large central chimney. External S gable chimney. Small C19 stair projection at rear of Gouldburn. Former 3-unit lobby entry plan. Middle part of roof heavily smoke blackened. Narrow bay next to N gable possibly a former smoke bay to parlour. Panelled pargetting on 3-window front, central door with flat hood and shaped brackets. Door to May Cottage next to N corner. Plinth of flint with brick on top. S part (Gouldburn) has a former open hall. Arch braces, hollow chamfered, to central cambered tie beam. Close studding and tension bracing in front wall. Single framed collar rafter roof withlapped joints. Inserted floor on stopped and chamfered axial beam. Heavy sooting of timbers. Present central chimney is of C18. N part (May Cottage) has a lower wall plate. Tension bracing and shutter-groove for former unglazed window on 1st floor front. Clasped purlin roof with curved wind braces and queen strut trusses. Floor carried on cross beam and axial joists. Narrow bay on N end probably a former smoke bay. 2 panel early C18 doors with HL hinges. A most interesting C15 timberframed open hall house with sooted roof of archaic construction and with a C16 N parlour end, in line, with separate smoke bay on N.

Listing NGR: TL4358421699