Spring Farmhouse

Farmhouse. Dating from the late 15th or early 16th century, it was extended in the late 16th century, with a floor inserted, part of the building raised, and further extensions added in the 17th century. Later alterations occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries. The construction is timber frame, with plastered walls. The steeply pitched roof is covered in pantiles and corrugated sheet metal. Originally a 2-bay open hall with a storeyed lower bay, a stack and parlour were added at the upper end to form a 3-cell cross passage plan. A 4-bay kitchen/dairy wing was attached to the service end at the rear, creating a large L-shaped layout. Early bays were raised to a uniform two stories and attic level, while the service wing remains single-story with an attic. A 16th-century addition to the left projects slightly forward. A 19th-century lobby entrance has a 6-panelled part-glazed door with architraves. The parlour has a glazed door, and a first-floor 2-light glazing bar casement. Earlier bays have a blocked original entrance, and 3-light part-opening metal frame casements with 20th-century lights to the former pantry. Ground floor windows retain hoodboards, while first-floor windows are hooded. A rebuilt axial ridge stack is located to the left of centre. The right gable end has a rebuilt brick ground floor and a 3-light window in the attic, with bargeboards. The rear has a rebuilt brick ground floor with a 3-light part-opening casement into the hall, above a 2-light leaded casement. The outer elevation of the 17th-century service wing features a cross passage door at the centre. The kitchen to the left has an external stack with offsets, marked “IL 1809” with a tile, alongside flanking oven outshuts. A dairy is to the right with two 3-light glazing bar casements with hoodmoulds. The rear gable end has pentice boards with a shallower pitch to the lower 18th-century roof. The interior features early service doorways from the cross passage; a 17th-century raised panelled screen in the hall; close studding; an inserted bar stop chamfered axial binding beam; the parlour has closer studding and a stop chamfered cross axial binding beam; traces of a 4-centred arched chamfered brick fireplace; stairs behind the stack; original windows are concealed, and there are 18th and 19th-century doors. The hall and parlour chamber have bar stop chamfered binding beams, and the hall contains original arched brace to cambered tie beam at the lower end. The parlour roof has cruck-like blades pegged to principals, replacing tie beams similar to those at Starhouse Farm House, Clay Street. It also includes lower butt and upper clasped purlins, arched wind braces. The raised roof over the hall features double staggered tenoned purlins with upper clasped purlins in 2 bays, and arched wind braces. The service wing has jowled storey posts, a bar stop chamfered cross axial binding beam, straight arched braces to cambered tie beams, and an 18th-century roof with collars to principals and some side purlins.