Wymondley Hall

A late 16th-century farmhouse, originally built for the Nedham family, who were Lords of the Manor and used it as a home farm associated with Wymondley Priory, their main residence. The house underwent significant modifications across several centuries. In the mid-17th century, alterations included internal changes and the possible rendering of the exterior, which was later removed. A large brick wing was added to the north around 1850 for Mrs. Frost, and the rear and south side were similarly bricked. Timber framing was exposed on the west front after approximately 1912.

The house is timber-framed with a roughcast finish on the brick sills, and close-timbering is exposed on the west front, northern wing, and the brick casing of the older building. The construction employs red brick in a distinctive bond of two stretchers and a header repeatedly. The roofs are primarily steep and covered with old red tiles, although a rear lean-to has a slate roof.

It is a two-story, near-symmetrical house set back from the road, with six front gables and a gabled single-story porch centrally located. Originally laid out in a “T” shape, it features a jettied south parlour crosswing facing west, a cross-passage at the north end of the hall, and service rooms parallel to the north side.

17th-century improvements expanded the service rooms into a kitchen, added a rear lateral chimney with three flues, and elaborated the front with full-height canted bay windows and canted oriels at both floor levels. The upper oriels are topped with separate tiled gables and supported by heavy, shaped brackets. The windows have transomed ovolo-moulded mullions. Two 19th-century gables are present on the north side of the front, each with similar projecting canted bays. The brick work of the 17th-century kitchen chimney is notable for its square shafts with triangular fillets, creating a multifaceted appearance. A similar projecting brick stack is located on the south side of the south wing, marking the termination of the 19th-century brick casing. A gabled stair tower projects from the rear, positioned between the large chimney stacks.

Interior features include brackets and bull-nosed joists on the jetty of the crosswing. An open fireplace is off-centre in the panelled parlour, reflecting the incorporation of a smaller room to the east. Chambers above the hall and parlour each have fireplaces. A curved wall was inserted at the north end of the old hall, and a mid-17th-century stack was pierced to provide access to the rear stair. The building was formerly known as 'The Lower House' in early 17th-century documents and more recently as 'Old Hall Farm'. Stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops are also present.