Merryvale House

ASHFIELD CUM THORPE THE STREET TM 26 SW

5/10 Merryvale House 9/12/55 (formerly listed as Merryvale)

• II

Former farmhouse. Early C16 with c.1600 stack and parlour addition to right. Restored 1930's. Timber framed and rendered. Thatched roof, hipped over service end to left. 3-cell, cross-entry type. 2 storeys and attic. Various casement windows of C20. Remains of small upper window of c.1600 below stack. C20 plank door and gabled porch built of re-used timbers, the 2-centred entrance arch a former medieval doorway; these timbers are said to come from a house at Easton. Stack has original axial shaft. Later gable stack to left. Interior. Some exposed studding; reverse-curved braces to earlier phase. Incomplete diamond-mullioned window in hall chamber. One 4-centre arched service doorway, now blocked, and evidence for the other. Hall ceiling has very heavy plain joists, only partly exposed; the bridging beam had a shafted soffit and was knee-braced to the wallposts. Arched-braced cambered tie beam over hall chamber. Roof was of coupled-rafter form, still intact over upper bay of hall where it is sooted. Remainder of roof, unsooted, is largely rebuilt. Timbers in upper bay of hall chamber are also sooted, suggesting an original timber flue extending only to first floor level. Parlour end has contemporary upper ceiling and clasped purlin roof. Intact parlour chamber fireplace. 2 small C17 cupboards to side of hall fireplace.

Listing NGR: TM2097062065