The Hermitage

The Hermitage is a house that dates back to the early 14th century, featuring a two-bay raised aisle hall with a late 16th-century parlour addition to the east. To the north, there is an early 19th-century range that forms a double pile plan, along with 20th-century additions to the west. The building is timber-framed and plastered, topped with a hipped pantiled roof, while the 19th-century range is roughcast-rendered. It stands two storeys tall and has early 19th-century mullion and transom windows with 2, 3, and 4 lights, showcasing pointed arches in the upper parts of the lights and leaded panes shaped like elongated hexagons. The northern windows feature paired boarded shutters, and there are some 18th-century square-leaded windows in the earlier range. The entrance door in the 20th-century addition is half-glazed.

Inside, the raised-aisle structure includes octagonal arcade posts with boldly roll-moulded bases and capitals, although these are now damaged. The southern side-aisle has been removed, leaving one arcade post partly embedded in the external wall. Massive straight or slightly curved braces support the arcade plate. There is evidence of three tie beams that would have been part of the open truss, but these and their associated roof structure are missing, with only some smoke-blackened rafters remaining. An inserted stack is located at the upper end of the hall. The parlour features good exposed timbering and shows signs of original windows, while exposed joists can be seen in the inserted floor of the hall.