The Firs

The Firs is a farmhouse, primarily dating to the 16th century, with development in two phases. An 19th century bay was added in-line to the left (south) side, creating a single long range. The original 16th century portion has a timber frame, with the front face plastered. The 19th century addition is of colourwashed brick, and the rear of the original section is cased in the same material. The roof is tiled, with pantiles to the front and double Roman tiles to the rear.

The farmhouse has two storeys and an attic over the 19th century section, and presents a five-window front. The three windows to the left are sash windows with glazing bars; the windows to the right are 19th century casements. Above the fourth window is the splayed head of a projecting oriel window, with recesses indicating where six mullions once stood. Part of the deep sill of this window is visible inside. A 19th century colourwashed brick gabled porch with a five-panel door (the upper panel glazed) sits to the left. A central internal stack has an oblong shaft. The left gable end has a 19th century doorcase with plain pilasters and a heavy entablature, flanked by paired three-quarter glazed French windows. Two external stacks are on the rear wall, one at the service end and the other associated with the 19th century addition.

The earliest section of the interior, located to the right of the stack, comprises two and a half bays of a high-quality early to mid-16th century house, later used as service accommodation. This section was originally jettied to the front, and the supporting bracket at the corner remains. A two-bay, end cell has a cross-beamed ground floor ceiling, with one surviving knee brace to the wallposts on the bridging beam; the joists are concealed. The chamber above the gable end has substantial studding and a down brace. A portion of a late 16th century partition with moulded muntins has been reused. The open truss over this chamber has an arched-braced tie beam supporting a crown-post, with down braces – all of the components are heavy and plain. The crown-post roof has later reinforcement and only one brace to the collar purlin remains. Elsewhere in the house, timbers are concealed. To the left of the stack, the roof has clasped and butt purlins, with a small number of re-used, sooted medieval rafters.

The house stands immediately south of a medieval moat.