The Frays

THE FRAYS

House. 15th century, probably late 16th century, and 17th century, with late 18th century cladding and 20th century alterations. Timber-frame construction with painted infill, clad in brownish brick of various bonds; plain tile roof with brick chimneys. Two storeys.

The main range, probably late 16th century and replacing an earlier open hall, comprises three bays with a through passage between the right-hand bays. To its left, projecting slightly, is a 15th-century floored gabled solar cross-wing, possibly originally jettied at the front and two bays deep, though in line with the main range at the rear. A two-bay wing projects to the rear of the main range on the right. Windows are mostly diamond-leaded iron casements with wood frames, with late 20th century doors. Front openings have segmental header brick arches. The entrance elevations feature gabled porches to board doors, positioned to the left of the cross-wing and at the centre of the main range; the latter doorway has a chamfered wood frame. The wing has a two-light window to the right, a three-light window above, a Sun Insurance fire plaque imported in 1790, and old cusped bargeboards. The main range has two-light windows, those on the first floor set below the eaves. The roof is half-hipped on the right. A multiple-flue stack stands at the left end, forward of the ridge, with an external stack at the right end.

The rear elevation shows the right wing with a 20th century door and sidelights, a small window on the left at mid-floor level with a segmental brick arch, and a two-light window below the eaves of the hipped roof. A brick pilaster separates the wing from the main range, which has a small window to the left and a larger one to the centre, both under segmental brick arches, and three windows above (that on the right being small). The left wing has an external gable stack with an offset top, and to its right a bricked-up door with a window over on the right. The left return (solar wing) has a central brick pier with a window to the right on the ground floor and one to the left on the first floor, each with late 20th century glazing but the latter retaining three large-scantling flat-faced wood mullions. The right return shows the gable of the main range with a two-light window to each floor on the right of the stack, that on the first floor having a segmental brick arch. The wing has a door (now a window) on the left and a two-light window to the right on each floor, the ground-floor openings having segmental brick arches.

Interior

The timber frame is exposed, particularly on the first floor, which displays large-scantling jowelled posts and arched braces. The main range is built abutting the solar cross-wing. The cross-wing's ground-floor room contains large-scantling unchamfered close-set joists. A fireplace of probably early to mid 17th century date features a heavily-moulded bressummer, a cast-iron fireback with the initials 'CR' (King Charles) and a spreading oak tree, and an 18th-century bread oven in the side. On the first floor, the front wall has shallowly-arched braces and a groove in the soffit of the wall plate for a former window shutter. The rear bay shows evidence of former mullions in the rear window, as do remains in a window in the left wall. A central cambered chamfered tie-beam with stepped-cyma stops supports a plain crown post (in the roof) with arch braces to the collar purlin. The rafters are collared.

The main range's housebody (on the left) has close-set chamfered joists, mostly with flat stops, and a chamfered spine-beam. A brick inglenoose fireplace features a chamfered cambered bressummer, two side recesses, and a fireback with a coat of arms. The right bay incorporates reused rafters as joists. On the first floor, the top of a former solid wood stair survives on the rear side of the chimney. Mortices in the soffit of the wall-plate of the left bay indicate former diamond-set window mullions. Steeply-cambered tie-beams run between the bays and also in the rear right wing. The roof features queen post trusses with through purlins and old rafters.