Downs Farm House

Downs Farm House is a farmhouse, now a house, dating back to the 14th or early 15th century, with alterations from the 16th or early 17th century, and a restoration in the 1930s. It is timber framed, with ground floor brickwork in Flemish bond to the end bays, and red and grey brick to the hall. The first floor is rendered, possibly during the 1930s, with plain strips indicating two panels to the storey, and with herringbone combing to the panels. The roof is tiled, with a Wealden shape, featuring an open hall of two roughly equal-length bays and storeyed end bays.

The house is two storeys high. Underbuilt jetties are present to the storeyed end bays, with evidence suggesting jetties returned along the gable ends. A solid spandrel bracket is located to the left end of the flying wallplate, and a brace is positioned under the central tie-beam. The roof is steeply pitched and hipped. Projecting brick gable end stacks are visible to the left and a red and grey brick stack is located on the front slope of the roof to the left end of the right hall bay.

The fenestration is irregular, with no windows to the left end bay, one five-light window to the left hall bay, one two-light window to the right hall bay, and a three-light window to the right end bay. A blocked pointed-arched wooden doorway, with feet on a jetty bressumer and head under the eaves, is situated to the left end of the left bay. A boarded door, with a lean-to hood, is positioned to the left end of the hall. Shallow later additions extend from the rear wall. A long, low, single-storey 19th-century brick service wing is attached to the rear to the right, and includes an external lead water pump.

The interior reveals some exposed framing. The left gable end jetty is exposed internally, with a ground-floor tension brace underneath. A dragon beam is positioned at the front of the right end bay. Evidence exists for a pair of pointed-arched service doorheads and a rear doorhead to the right end of the hall, with part of one head remaining in situ. Unmoulded end-of-hall beams sit above two arch-braced panels. Shaped, rebated jowls are found on chamfered principal posts. A partly extant plain-chamfered hall cornice beam is present. There’s a moulded octagonal central-truss crown post on the chambered tie-beam, formerly deeply arched-braced. Chamfer-stopped end-of-hall crown posts are also visible. Chambered, chamfered arch-braced cross tie-beams are at each end bay, the one to the left featuring doubly plain-chamfered posts beneath. The rafters were replaced after a 1930 fire. A two-light diamond mullion first-floor window is located at the rear of the left end bay. A deep head to the hall window is across the front of the left hall bay. Chamfered cross and axial beams define an inserted hall floor. A brick fireplace with a wooden bressumer is also present.