The Quest

The Quest is a house, originally a lobby entry house of four bays, built in the 17th century with significant alterations and additions in the early 18th century, the mid-18th century, and the early 19th century. Further alterations occurred in the mid-20th century. The core of the building is timber-framed and clad in red brick in Flemish bond, with occasional grey headers used in the early 18th century. The right-hand quarter of the front is constructed of chequered red and grey brick. A plain tile roof is present, with a gablet to the left end.

The house sits on a brick plinth and features two two-storey, shouldered buttresses, one slightly to the left of centre and the other halfway between that and the left-hand end. Three plat bands are visible; one in Flemish bond with an ogee moulded base between the buttresses, another similar to the right of the stack, and one with plain edges in English bond to the right-hand quarter, running round the right gable end. A moulded wood eaves cornice is present, and the roof is hipped, with the ridge slightly lower to the right of the central stack. A small projecting stack is located at the left end, a multiple brick ridge stack towards the centre, and a single stack at the rear to the right-hand end.

The fenestration is irregular, with seven casements: one single-light window, five two-light windows, and one three-light window on the first floor. The ground floor has five windows; three are framed with rubbed brick voussoirs. The tripartite sash windows between the buttresses have a finely-fluted base. A 20th-century panelled door is situated in a 20th-century brick porch to the rear of the left-hand gable end. The door has fielded panels, two top lights, and a narrow rectangular fanlight to the right side of the left buttress. A blocked door is located to the right side of the right buttress, and a 20th-century ribbed door leads to a rear lean-to to the right, with a blocked door in the right-hand gable end of the front range.

A short timber-framed rear wing, dating to the 17th or early 18th century, is present, along with a possible 18th-century rear lean-to. A datestone reading "IT" is visible to the left of the left-hand end buttress.

The interior contains fragments of original timber framing. A plaster panel with a repeated triangular pattern in pale blue and white is located in the right-ground-floor inglenook of the central stack; this is probably from the 17th century. A small, panelled room is found to the right-hand end of the ground floor, with sunk beaded panels, a moulded cornice, 18th-century doors, and a panelled fireplace surround. A first-floor room above has plain sunk panels along one wall and a similar cornice. 18th-century doors are found throughout the house, and a 18th-century brick cellar is located beneath the left-hand end room.