Spong Farm House

Farmhouse. It likely dates from the early to mid-16th century, built on an earlier site. The house is timber framed with painted brick and rendered infill, and has a plain tile roof. It comprises four timber-framed bays, with an open hall extending to the rear across two-thirds of the central two bays, and storeyed end bays. The ground floor sits on a flint plinth. A continuous jetty, contemporary with the open hall, features moulded solid-spandrel brackets returning to the left and right on moulded dragon posts. The timber framing is broadly spaced. First-floor tension braces are visible to the gable ends and four towards the centre of the front elevation. A long, moulded window cill is found on the ground floor of the right-hand hall bay. The roof is hipped with gablets. A 17th-century brick ridge stack is located between the left hall bay and the left end bay. The fenestration is irregular, with seven small single-light casements. A boarded double door with a four-centred arched head incorporating leaf spandrels, rises three steps and is situated slightly to the right of the stack. A painted brick lean-to extends to the rear on the left. The interior reveals exposed timber framing; an axial beam runs across the front of the centre of the right hall bay, double hollow chamfered on its front side only, extending unmoulded into the left hall bay, and carrying joists between them and the jetty. A right end-of-hall beam is moulded and brattished between this axial beam and a mortise for a spear for a doorway towards the rear end. Evidence indicates a further doorway towards the front end. Axial joists, morticed for a central partition, are in the right end bay. A chamfered axial beam and chamfered joists are found in the ceiled left end bay, alongside a tenoned cross beam towards the left end. The central-truss tie-beam is cambered and chamfered only over the open hall, levelling out over the gallery; it has an arch brace to the rear and a knee brace from a post on the gallery to the front of the open hall, and a further knee brace from the front wall-post. A first-floor partition in the right end of the hall shows possible evidence for a doorway to the gallery. The left end partition has been disturbed by the stack. A chamfered axial beam and chamfered joists define the inserted hall floor. The roof was not inspected. The house is believed to have been owned by Robert Spong around 1440. The galleried hall is an unusual feature for this area.