Three Oaks House

Three Oaks House

This is a timber-framed house with a complex building history. Originally constructed in the late 15th or early 16th century as an open hall house, it was later enlarged with a late 16th or early 17th century south-east cross-wing. The building underwent some 19th century refurbishing and received late 20th century extensions, which are not of special interest.

The house is built of timber framing with plastered infill on a sandstone plinth. The cross-wing has a sandstone ground floor with tile-hanging to its gable. The roof is tiled with two tall brick chimneystacks. Casement windows with leaded lights are used throughout.

The plan comprises an original two-storey rectangular range running north to south, which included an open hall. At the south end, a separately framed cross-wing with cellar was added, creating an L-shaped plan. A large canted late 20th century porch now occupies the angle of the L, the kitchen was extended to the east, and an existing outbuilding to the south has been incorporated by a link block.

The west side is close-studded with a steeply pitched roof hipped to the north. It features a tripartite window in the roof slope, two first-floor casement windows rising through the eaves with gables, and two ground-floor casement windows.

The north end is also close-studded with two two-light casement windows on the first floor and a four-light casement window to the ground floor.

The east side is in two parts. The earlier northern section is close-studded with a tall brick chimneystack set in the roof slope, three casement windows on each floor (one upper window is a projecting square bay on brackets), and a small wooden porch at ground level. The southern cross-wing section is two storeys with attics and a semi-basement cellar. Its ground floor is of squared and tooled sandstone, possibly infilling a jetty; the first floor is close-studded; and the attic features a projecting gable that is tile-hung with carved wooden bargeboards. The casement windows include examples with ovolo moulding dating to the late 16th or early 17th century.

The south side shows the return of the cross-wing with squared sandstone blocks at ground floor and timber framing (now covered in weather-boarding) at first floor. A brick chimneystack breaks through the roof slope and several casement windows are present, including two projecting bays. A late 20th century single-storey glazed and timber link block connects the house to a former single-storey sandstone outbuilding.

The north side of the L-wing is close-studded with visible curved tension bracing. A penticed staircase extension, probably added by 1909, projects from the first floor. Two casement windows and two flat-roofed dormers are present at this level.

A late 20th century lower single-storey kitchen extension in matching timber and rendered infill with a tiled roof has been added to the west end of the L-wing.

Internally, the drawing room features a massive sandstone open fireplace along the north wall with a roll-moulded wooden bressumer above it. The ceiling has roll-moulded cross beams with chamfered run-out stops to the floor joists. The south wall contains an oak plank and muntin partition shared with the adjoining dining room.

The dining room, accessed up two steps, has an axial beam with a two-inch chamfer and un-chamfered floor joists. The wall frame is visible with studs and a midrail, displaying carpenters' marks. The plank and muntin partition with the drawing room runs along the north wall. Two walls retain panelling, possibly dating to the 19th century, and an arched fireplace of the same period is present.

The eastern part of the kitchen retains an oak spine beam and ceiling beams.

The northern ground-floor room (billiard room) has un-chamfered ceiling beams, though the axial beam has been replaced, and contains a 20th century stone fireplace.

The entrance hall features a 19th century oak staircase with moulded balusters and square newel posts with ball finials ascending to the upper floor.

The central bedroom in the main range, positioned above the drawing room and originally the principal chamber after the open hall was ceiled over, contains an inserted brick fireplace with a wooden bressumer. Three surviving very large curved braces support a tie beam, and the ceiling was later heightened by the addition of a spine beam and floor joists. The south wall exposes two separate frames: the end frame of this room and the cross-wing frame of the adjoining bedroom, with carpenters' marks visible. Original wide oak floorboards survive.

The corner south bedroom over the dining room displays an exposed wall frame with a midrail, an axial beam with two-inch chamfers and un-chamfered ceiling joists, and two original mullioned windows. The fireplace is 20th century.

The bathroom and landing off this bedroom contain jowled posts and a wall frame with the midrail visible.

The north bedroom retains no original features.

The attic floor has exposed purlins but no other roof structure elements are visible.

The cellar beneath the eastern part of the cross-wing has sandstone walls and two chamfered oak ceiling beams.