Freemantle Farmhouse

Freemantle Farmhouse

A farmhouse of mixed dates, comprising an early component in red-brown and grey brick, mostly laid in Flemish bond, with 19th-century additions in red, grey and brown brick. Plain tile roofs throughout.

The earliest component consists of an east-west range of five asymmetrical bays and a three-bay north-south range forming an L-shaped plan. The east-west range has a deep hipped roof to the west and a gable to the east with an internal stack. The north-south range has an internal stack, possibly the original main stack of the building, with an external stack later added to the southern bay. Both ranges are of two storeys, with a large cellar beneath the central and eastern bays of the east-west range. Central stairs rise from the ground floor above the cellar to a fully-occupied attic floor, which connects with the attics above the north-south range.

Probably in the 19th century, the plan was infilled to form a rectangular footprint. A two-bay, two-storey east-west gabled range with a prominent gable stack now faces the approach from the lane. A new entrance, beneath a porch, was created in a linking passage between this addition and the original house. A shallow one-and-a-half storey north-facing service bay contains a large kitchen fireplace backing onto the original main stack and a second service stair. The space between the ranges encloses a pantry and larder. To the west is a slightly later single-storey three-bay service building with a gable end stack.

The south and east elevations feature a stepped, chamfered brick plinth, partly rendered at a later date, which is cut by an inserted cellar window at semi-basement level. The plinth is shallower to the left of the entrance and on the west elevation. Both south and west elevations have a plain brick storey band. Eight-over-eight pane sash windows with slender mid- to late 19th-century glazing bars have rendered reveals and cills and single course soldier arches. First-floor windows are set under deep plain eaves. The main entrance, to the second bay, has a 20th-century four-glazed-panel door beneath a shallow segmental arch, contained within a brick porch with gabled roof, boarded internally, and a brick pamment floor. The west elevation displays single- and three-light timber casements and a large, offset, late 19th-century external brick stack.

The later 19th-century two-bay two-storey wing has a tall gable stack corbelled out at first floor level with a pair of diagonally set moulded shafts. The ground floor has a deep moulded plinth and storey band; the upper floor is in alternating grey and red brick header bond. Windows are three-light timber casements; ground floor windows sit beneath flat arches in diagonally-set red brick. The lower north-facing gabled bay is similarly treated.

The eastern entrance is beneath a gabled porch in grey brick with flush red brick dressings and tiled roof. It has pointed outer and inner arches, the latter moulded, with a plain glazed overlight above a moulded four-panel door with upper panels glazed. The roof has deep exposed rafters and purlins; the floor is of stone slabs with a renewed concrete threshold.

The north-facing entrance, beneath a 20th-century porch, leads into the late 19th-century single-storey wing in red brick with timber casements.

Interior

The principal area of architectural interest is the early range, dominated by a stair running from ground floor to attic. This has a late 17th or early 18th-century dog-leg frame with square newels and heavy moulded rails and a plain closed string. The lower flights have replaced balusters and are painted. The upper flight to the attic is generously proportioned and retains its original wavy splat balusters. A shallow moulded dado rail runs along the lower flights; in the upper flight, the wall has been taken back to the frame.

Ground floor rooms have transverse chamfered beams; first floor rooms have axial chamfered beams with one-and-a-half to two-inch chamfers with run-out and lambs' tongue stops. Most doors are later 19th or early 20th-century of six and four panels; some have reused HL hinges. A broad six-panel door in a moulded architrave leads into the north kitchen, where the cupboard door has a latch of late 18th or early 19th-century form, probably reused. Some windows in the 19th-century wing have vertical shutter boxes. The rear stair has stick balusters. A large kitchen fireplace opening features a timber mantelshelf. The pantry and larder have a tile floor and stone slab shelves on arched brick bases.

A four-panel door beneath the main stair leads to a brick-lined cellar with a brick and timber cross wall. Stairs supported on a brick arch have plain square newels, a deep rail with rounded profile, and broad flat balusters of later 18th-century type. Brick steps have been recently repaired. The cellar has been reinforced with brick piers to support the floor above, which has deep transverse beams and vertically laid joists.

The early ranges have heavy scantling oak roofs of side purlin construction with close-set rafters, jointed and pegged at the ridge with no ridge piece. Within the attic, an oak plank door has narrow tapering strap hinges of late 17th or early 18th-century type and a wooden latch. Dormers have been inserted in the rear roof.