The Rookery

TM 07 SW 3/46 15/11/54

WALSHAM LE WILLOWS FINNINGHAM ROAD The Rookery (formerly listed as 'Rookery Farmhouse)

II

Former farmhouse. Circa 1600.and later. Timber-framed and rendered with some lining, white brick facing to part, plaintiled roofs. 2 storeys, attics to part; irregular form. 2 internal chimney-stacks, one with 4 barrel shafts moulded at cap and base on a long narrow base decorated with 2 courses of diaper-patterned tiles (cf. Green Farmhouse, Item 3/41, and Crownland Hall, Item 3/43). Part of the south front has a mid-C19 white brick face: a central gable, with a raised course of bricks along its slopes, a spike finial with ball, and corbels, is set slightly forward of 2 flanking crenellated sections. The gable has paired 12-pane sash windows within heavy mock-stone surrounds to ground and first floors and a single 12-pane sash in the apex; the crenellated sides each have a 4-panelled door and fanlight with radiating glazing-bars in a semi-circular-headed, surround and a 12-pane sash window above. The remainder of the south front has 9-pane sashes to each floor. Along the west side, old 3-light casement windows to the upper floor, and a small 1½ storey projecting C17 wing: fluted bargeboards and spike finial to gable, projecting tie-beam with Jacobean carving, a 2-light casement window with a single bar to each floor. The oldest part of the complex is the 4-bay 3-cell range with internal chimney-stack, aligned north-south: to the south of the stack the ground floor room behind the brick gable has an ovolo-moulded main beam with lamb's tongue stops; to the north of the stack the main beams are plain and worn. Close-studding with some C18 brick infill; Tudor brick on the north side of the stack; joists on edge on the upper floor; roof, in 7 bays unrelated to wall bays, with 2 rows of unstepped butt purlins and very large principal rafters. The east-west range is not all of one date, and much structure is concealed. The 4 eastern bays have exposed walling on the ground floor, with indications that the ceilings were raised in the C18. Roof with one row of unstepped butt purlins, one row of clasped purlins, and the remains of windbraces.

Listing NGR: TM0056671476