Reydon House

REYDON HOUSE

A high status house of late 15th or early 16th century date, with a 17th century extension and 18th century and later alterations. The building is timber-framed, stuccoed, with an 18th century front elevation. The main range faces the street with adjoining parallel rear wings. The roof is steeply pitched slate on the front slope, pantile elsewhere, and the building rises to two storeys and an attic with an attic window in the left gable end.

The front elevation comprises five windows of 6/6 sash pattern in exposed casings. At the centre is a doorway with a moulded case featuring a pulvinated frieze and moulded cornice. The door itself is flush panelled and glazed, approached by a good wooden porch of fretwork with a tent-shaped roof, reached by five moulded stone steps. A wood string course marks the first floor level.

The rear comprises large two-storeyed wings with plastered timber-framing and steeply pitched pantile roofs with gabled ends, lit by casement windows. Brick chimney stacks rise through both ranges. The later 17th century inner wing is constructed of brick and features a fine chequerwork brick front with mullion and transom windows. This wing also contains four sashes, probably original, of 9/9 pattern with crown glass and thick glazing bars.

INTERIOR

The interior retains a considerable amount of late 15th and early 16th century timber framing, much of it visible or partly visible under floor boards. In the main range, beamed ceilings of the early high status house survive above the present plastered ground floor ceilings. These beams are moulded and possibly carved, the joists are moulded, and the rooms are both high and large. The roof above the main range appears to have been renewed in the 17th century.

The longer outer rear wing retains its original crown post roof with coupled rafters and four simple crown posts supporting the collar purlin. Within this wing is visible close studded framing of heavy scantling on both floors, and above the present plastered ceilings the original bridging beams and joists survive, reported as unmoulded. An unusual low pitched ceiling on the first floor has recently been further revealed. This has moulded beams and joists and appears to be a consciously designed ceiling inserted under the tie beams of the crown post roof, possibly serving as a study or cabinet. The back stairs are reported to survive intact. Another ceiling presently revealed has closely spaced flat-faced joists. Beams and joists also survive in the inner wing, which is probably late 17th century.

The front left reception retains fine complete panelling in 17th century style, though it appears to have been installed in the 1860s. The front right reception room contains an early 19th century fireplace. On the first floor, the right gable end displays a jowled post with curved braces. A rear wing main reception room has an open fireplace with a moulded bressumer. Many two-panel doors and cupboard doors survive throughout.

HISTORY

The house is linked by Percy Millican to the Gawdy family, prominent in Norfolk and Suffolk in the late 15th and 16th and 17th centuries. Robert Gawdy died at nearby Redenhall in 1459. His descendant Thomas Gawdy, born around 1476 and died 1556, is described as Bailiff of Harleston in 1509. His eldest son was Thomas, Recorder of Norwich and Lynn in the mid-16th century. His other two sons were Sir Thomas Gawdy, Justice of the Queen's Bench, and Sir Francis Gawdy, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

This significant house retains considerable structure of a high status house of the late 15th and early 16th centuries as well as good features of later periods.