The Chestnuts

CRETINGHAM OTLEY ROAD TM 25 NW (East side) 4/40 - The Chestnuts - II

House. Late C16. Similar to those built in Monewden for the Stebbings family. Timber framed with colourwashed render and a plain tiled roof, probably originally thatched. Two storeys with attic. Three cells with baffle-entry originally with a screens passage and service rooms at one end. Entrance front: C20 hipped porch to left of centre with tripartite C20 glazed doorway, to left of this is C20 three-light casement window. To right of it are two similar windows and to the first floor are 3 similar windows, though of less depth. To the ridge at left of centre above the doorway is a massive chimney stack of 2 flues with sawtooth decoration to the upper body and a rectangular base with ball ornament. Left hand gable end: single-light C20 ground floor window, a jettied gable above this with a single-light window. Right hand side: gable end at left with a 6-light ground floor window, the two central lights being French windows. To the first floor are two 2-light casements with, dividing them, a blank panel, and to the attic a single-light casement. To the right of this and slightly recessed is a C20 wing which has a ½-glazed door to the ground floor and a single light window at right. To the first floor is a 2-light casement. Rear: large projecting 2-storey addition at left with a flat roof which has rendered brick walling to the ground floor and clapboarding at first floor level. At right of this and recessed is the C16 range. In the re-entrant angle between the two is a single-storey porch with flat roof and ½-glazed door. To the first floor are a 2-light and two single- light casements, all the fenestration on this and the gable ends being of C20 date. Interior: The hall has an arrangement of crossed ceiling beams with joists to the four cells, which run alternately axially and cross-axially. These joists have stepped lamb's tongue end stops. To the far end of the hall, was a screens passage with buttery and pantry, now opened out to form a continuation of the hall. One further ground floor room with similar joists beyond the stack. The winder staircase has been replaced by a single flight to the rear of the stack which cuts into this room. Jowled wall posts to the first floor and chamfered ceiling beams with end stops and the surrounds to windows which had diamond-section mullions.

Listing NGR: TM2197457717