Lowe Hill House

Lowe Hill House

A timber-framed house of complex build sequence, located on the south side of Higham Road in Stratford St Mary. The building comprises a probable early 15th-century range that was substantially remodelled in the early 17th century, together with a mid-16th-century cross wing to the right and an attached rear range of probable early 16th-century date. The house is L-shaped in plan and originally comprised an open hall with two-storey ends and a rear range, now floored over and raised to two storeys throughout.

The main house displays close studding except where the ground floor of the left bay has been cased in painted brick. The front elevation is dominated by a two-bay hall with a further bay to the left representing the former high end, fronted by a two-bay cross wing. The roof is plain tile with red brick stacks. The most striking feature is the original entrance to the former cross passage, positioned to the right of the hall, constructed as a two-centred arch from two pieces of timber. Though blocked on the exterior, the original door survives intact behind render.

Interior structural features reveal the building's history. The hall range retains the original front door within a later cupboard, a studded plank door with batons. A chamfered bridging beam with curved stop is visible, marking the early 17th-century insertion of a fireplace stack into the cross passage. The cross wing, which replaced an original service range, contains a chamfered beam with run-out stop and exposed joists. A central post to the return wall bears the initials RB carved in relief, with a mutilated shield above. An orange brick fireplace features a chamfered steeply-cambered arch. To the right is a section of strapwork wall painting in red, white and black.

The rear range contains exceptional early 17th-century features. The first room displays complete contemporary panelling with fine hand-painted decoration to each panel, together with a cornice and panelled door incorporating cocks head hinges and two linenfold panels. The centre room has a studded moulded plank door with a shaped head and two large chamfered posts, that to the left featuring jewel stops, with arch braces rising to a massive stop-chamfered beam above the fireplace. Chamfered longitudinal beams and exposed joists extend through the centre and end rooms. Varying floor and ceiling levels indicate construction in more than one phase.

The first floor of the cross wing retains a chamfered cambered orange brick fireplace. The rear range centre room contains posts and arch braces supporting a tie beam with a crown post above. The roof structure shows evidence of long occupation. The front two bays of the hall range preserve a crown post roof with a plain square post adjacent to the stack, down brace to the tie beam and arch brace to the purlin, with collars and no smoke-blackening. The cross wing features a clasped purlin roof with wind braces, some rafters showing blackening that suggests reuse. Smoke-blackened rafters from the original 15th-century front roof pitch survive beneath the later roof structure.

Windows throughout have been restored with ovolo mullions. The hall displays a gabled dormer and a corniced saw-tooth stack to the right. The cross wing, closely studded with down braces and a jettied first floor, features restored ovolo mullion and transom windows, with mullioned side windows to the first floor and a two-light window to the gable under bargeboards and swept roof. The rear elevation shows a door resited to the right of its original position, a studded moulded plank door with a shaped head under a renewed Tudor arch. Two levels of wall plates indicate the raising of the first floor. The rear range shows studding partly replaced and brick casing to the end bay, with restored ovolo mullion windows and two saw-tooth stacks. A projecting brick bread oven with a tiled roof is visible at the gable end.