The Croft

The Croft is a house dating from the 16th century, with the suggestion it was built in 1565, as shown on a map of the Clintons Estate from 1588. It is a long timber-framed building with a 1 1/2 storeys, and the north-facing facade is plastered, with weatherboard along the base and a steep thatched roof that is half-hipped. The original plan comprised three rooms arranged around a cross passage. Originally only the eastern service room had a floor above; the axial joists were trimmed to accommodate stairs on both the north and south sides. In the later 16th century, the lower bay of the hall, and possibly the parlour room, were floored over with axial beams. These beams have chamfered stops and the joists have stopped chamfers. In the 17th century, the upper bay of the hall was floored over and subdivided to accommodate a staircase on the south side, and a large single-flue chimney was built in the cross passage. A section of the flue emerges from the roof ridge, set diagonally. The parlour room's joists, its external gable chimney, and the 2-light and 3-light wooden casement windows and eyebrow dormers (one on the north side and three on the south side) all date from the 18th century. The roof has side purlins. The timber frame is visible on the interior. A rear wing, constructed around 1970, is 1 1/2 storeys high, with plastered walls and a gambrel tiled roof.