Claycotts

House. Built in the early 16th century, with two phases of construction, and a further range added around 1600. Later alterations and additions include a dovecote range attached to the south, and a 20th-century addition of little architectural interest to the west. The house was restored in the early 1980s. It is timber-framed and rendered, with parts underbuilt in painted brick, red brick stacks, and other additions. The dovecote range is weatherboarded, and the roof is tiled.

The house comprises a truncated former hall range, a slightly higher cross range to the right, a range of around 1600 at right angles to the cross wing, and a dovecote range adjoining the former hall range to the left. The current entrance is through the 20th-century range. The former hall (now the kitchen) and cross wing are jettied and underbuilt in brick, with carved posts and capitals; the post at the left of the cross wing gable end is particularly fine, featuring a ‘linenfold’ motif to the post and floral motifs to the square capital and abacus, along with an arch brace. A foliate scroll is moulded to the bressummer of the cross wing, and moulded to the hall range. The windows are mostly 20th-century cross casements, with those in the cross wing replacing an entrance with a 19th-century doorcase. Rendering to the first floor conceals close studding and blocked 3-light mullion windows. Close studding and collar are visible to the cross-wing gable, with bargeboards and a finial. The roofs are swept. An external stack is located on the gable of the range to the left.

The dovecote range is single-storey with a 2-storey central dovecote, featuring original openings to the rear, doveholes, and shelves to the gable. In the angle with the later range is a brick projection under a pent roof, containing a 3-light brick ovolo mullion window with a hoodmould and cogged cornice. The range of around 1600 sits on a plinth, with a jettied gable end. The ground floor has French windows flanked by blocked 3-light ovolo mullion windows, and a 20th-century cross casement on the first floor. It has close-studding to the jettied gable, with bargeboards and a finial, and a swept roof. To the right return is a large external, off-set stack (the upper part rebuilt). A brick staircase projection is under a pent roof.

The interior of the former hall and cross wing includes moulded ceiling beams to the ground floor, and a blocked mullion window to the front wall of the kitchen. The later range has a plastered brick basket-arched, ovolo-moulded fireplace, and studded walls with down braces. A newel spiral stair adjacent to the stack has been remodelled. On the first floor, framing is exposed, including chamfered jowled posts with arch braces, moulded beams, and joists to the earlier ranges. Close studding is present. Rafter seatings in the wall plate on the right of the former hall range seem to indicate a hipped roof predating the erection of the cross wing. The roof has been rebuilt, incorporating early timbers.