Church Farmhouse

Church Farmhouse is a house dating back to the 15th century, with significant alterations and extensions in the late 16th century and early 17th century, and further changes in the 20th century. The building is timber-framed and plastered, with steeply pitched roofs covered in plain tiles and machine-rolled tiles. Originally, it was a two-bay open hall with a storeyed lower bay. A stack was inserted into the upper bay, and a parlour was added. Later, a three-bay addition extended forward, creating a T-shaped plan. There is a one-storey and attic range alongside a two-storey and attic range. The original front range has three small windows with glazing bars, the central one replacing a former cross passage entrance. A two-light gabled dormer sits over the former hall. A substantial ridge stack, where the three builds meet, is axial to the original right bay, incorporating three diagonally set shafts. Adjacent to the stack is a 16th-century parlour with a break in the roof to the rear. A 20th-century lean-to now occupies the rear cross passage entrance, alongside a mix of casements and three gabled two-light dormers. The later range extending forward has a rear entrance with a part-glazed six-panel door, 20th-century glazing bar casements, and a gabled dormer. A late 17th- or early 18th-century stack has been inserted towards the front, axial on the ridge with a rebuilt cap, and a front gable end has pentice boards.

Inside, the cross passage retains rebates for two service doorways, and there is exposed timber studding of large scantling. The hall has an inserted axial binding beam, joists, and a fireplace bressumer. The parlour has an axial binding beam, joists, and storey posts. In the hall, an open truss has been removed, leaving a tenon to an arched brace in a post. Part of a large four-light diamond mullioned hall window remains in the largely rebuilt upper bay; there is tension bracing in the partition to the solar. The early roof retains a closed truss, with a plain crown post and an arched brace to the collar purlin over the solar, and smoke-blackened rafters. Raised cambered tie beams flank the inserted stack. A four-centred arched, chamfered brick fireplace is located in the parlour chamber. The 16th-century roof has butt purlins, arched windbraces, and collars to the principals. The 17th-century range features close studding with chamfered mid-rails, a moulded storey post, stop-chamfered cross axial binding beams and joists, arched and reverse cranked braces to cambered tie beams, and reverse cranked arched braces in the walling. The roof is of a lower butt and upper clasped purlin construction, with halved principals and straight and cranked windbraces.