Street Farmhouse With Attached Outbuilding

Street Farmhouse with Attached Outbuilding

This timber-framed house in Botesdale was originally built as an inn in the early 15th century, subsequently extended in the early 16th century, and underwent further alterations over the subsequent centuries. It was refronted, partially reroofed and substantially altered in the early 19th century for G. St Vincent Wilson of Redgrave Hall, with a datestone reading '1833 G St.V.W.' on the outbuilding. The building is now a private house.

The early 15th-century core consists of a large open hall spanning 2 unequal bays with the lower end positioned to the right. No traces survive of the original service bay or crosswing. The 16th-century additions to the left include a 3-bay cross wing projecting slightly forward, possibly replacing an earlier upper cross wing, a 3-bay range that was originally jettied with a narrow cross passage bay to the left and, to the far left, a short 2-bay service cross wing. Floor and chimney stacks were inserted in the 17th century, within the hall's upper bay and in the formerly jettied range. An 18th-century dairy bay was added to the far left.

The building is now 2 storeys with an attic in the original hall. The structure employs a timber frame, plastered and refronted in red brick with plain tile roofs. The main entrance, positioned in the 19th-century red brick front at the upper end of the hall range, features architraved double doors with 6 panels and shaped brackets supporting a pedimental hood with a panelled soffit. To the right is a recessed 16-pane sash window with a slightly cambered gauged brick head; above it sits a first-floor transomed 3-light casement with metal glazing bar framing and a similar head. A continuous offset plinth and boxed eaves run across the front. The early 16th-century 3-bay cross wing projects slightly to the left and displays a ground-floor 16-pane sash and two first-floor metal-frame cross casements with gauged brick cambered heads and bargeboards to the gable with a slightly lower ridge.

To its left, where the former jettied range has been underbuilt and the service cross wing subsumed, a broad 2-bay frontage features ground-floor 3- and 4-light metal-frame casements with cambered heads and glazing bar framing, first-floor cross casements, and a roof half-hipped to the left. An axial ridge stack in the right bay of the former jettied range has a cap rebuilt in white brick; a second inserted stack stands to the rear of the early upper bay. The lower 18th-century dairy to the far left has a kitchen stack adjoining the main structure. The right gable end is of red brick with wavy bargeboards.

The rear elevation shows early bays with ground-floor red brick, a 19th-century 6-panelled door with a fanlight opposite the main entrance, and a 2-light gabled dormer in the hall's upper bay. The cross wing features a 2-light glazing bar casement over a lean-to outshut which continues behind the former jettied range, with a 19th-century overhanging first floor.

Interior

The early 15th-century hall bays retain remarkable structural detail. On the ground floor, the frame is largely concealed, but the first floor displays very close studding of large scantling with a large reverse-curved tension brace in the upper end wall. The wall plates feature splayed scarf joints at the open truss, where posts carry moulded heads. Originally arched braces have been removed. The tie beam is a double wave-moulded cambered member with a grooved soffit. An octagonal crown post stands centrally, elaborately moulded with a brattished cap and broached base. Large 2-centred arched 4-way braces rise from the posts, with a longitudinal brace at the lower end. The rafters are smoke-blackened with tenoned soulaces to collars.

The early 16th-century 3-bay cross wing has the ground-floor frame concealed, with a partition to the left removed. Corner posts are rebated. A first-floor entrance into the rear bay to the right carries a 4-centred arched door head. The first floor displays close studding with 4-centred arched braces rising from posts to chamfered cambered tie beams. Two slender octagonal crown posts stand centrally, simply moulded with brattished caps and bases. 2-way arched bracing rises to the collar purlin with a bridled scarf joint; downward-curved braces spring from the crown posts in the end walls. There is no smoke blackening.

The 3-bay formerly jettied range originally featured a jetty supported by brackets to every third joist and close studding. A stop-chamfered axial binding beam sits on 4-centred arched brackets, of which 1 has been removed. An inserted stack carries a stop-chamfered fireplace bressumer. A first-floor entrance to the rear of the cross passage bay to the left carries a 4-centred arched door head; a 2-light cavetto-mullioned window opening adjoins. Reverse-curved tension braces appear in the left end wall, with cambered tie beams. Crown posts have been removed, and the stack cuts through the collar purlin. There is no smoke blackening.

The 2-bay service cross wing has rebated corner posts, an altered roof retaining a central truss with 4-centred arched braces rising from posts to a chamfered cambered tie beam, and a square crown post with 2-way arched bracing. No smoke blackening is present.

Outbuilding

Attached to the rear right is a stable outbuilding of flint and red brick with a plain tile roof. The flint and red brick wall connecting it to the house incorporates a door. The outbuilding's inner elevation, facing the house, has 3 boarded doors and 3 windows, all with cambered heads. The flint outer elevation displays a 2-light window. A datestone is set into the gable facing the house.

A 19th-century iron pump with a timber casing is attached to the rear of the house.

Historical Note

The building was formerly known as The White Hart and from around 1700 was called White Hart Farm.