Sparrows Nest (Within Gates At Entrance To Thorley House)

Sparrows Nest is a 17th-century house located within gates at the entrance to Thorley House. The building is two storeys and has a three-unit plan. It is timber-framed with plaster over a low plinth. A large chimney stack is situated at the upper end of the house, and a smaller stack was inserted at the service end against the cross passage. The hall contains a cased axial beam. There was formerly a winding stair where the modern rear stair is now located, within a rear extension.

The rear extension is a two-storey lean-to, with a three-window front and a steep gabled roof now covered in slate. The front of the main house features a bellcast roofline and projecting eaves. Three early 19th-century, three-light ‘Gothic’ windows are present, featuring labels, leaded glazing, and iron opening lights. An off-centre porch to the left has a slated, gabled roof with faceted posts, a stepped cap, and trabeation. Plain pilasters with stepped caps are also present. The entrance door is a two-panelled, battened door with pointed glazing bars in the upper part. A heavy iron chain and crossbar are found internally. A modern bay is situated on the north end of the building. A 19th-century trellis is located outside the porch.