Old Swaylands

Old Swaylands is a hall house of special architectural and historic interest, originally built in the 15th century with substantial later additions.

The core building is a 15th-century timber-framed hall house with a central hall open to the roof. A close-studded timber-framed cross-wing was added in the 16th century. A timber-framed barn was constructed to the south-east in the 16th or 17th century, and two oasthouses were added around the middle of the 19th century. These buildings were joined together by a link-range built in the mid-to-late 20th century, which is of lesser architectural interest.

The 15th-century hall house is timber-framed with large daub panels and features stone and brick chimneys with red tile roofing. The 16th-century cross-wing is also timber-framed and close-studded, built on a stone plinth. The barn is timber-framed with weatherboarded exterior and tiled roof, whilst the oasthouses are constructed of squared stone with conical tiled roofs. The 20th-century link-range is built of brick and stone, partly rendered with mock timber-framing.

The main north-east elevation of the hall house displays an exposed timber frame with arch bracing and large daub panels. It has three casement windows with diamond-leaded lights arranged across the ground and first floors, and a Tudor arched doorway containing a re-used stable door with wrought-iron strap hinges. Several lower panels are infilled with stone plinth. The north-west elevation has a gabled dormer and casement windows, with the ground floor rebuilt in brick around 1930 when the corbelled chimney stack was also rebuilt or replaced. The south-west elevation shows exposed arch-braced framing with a two-light casement to the first floor and a six-light casement with Tudor arched doorway to the ground floor, alongside a substantial brick chimney and a 1930s double-height window of nine diamond-leaded lights. Ridge gablets ornament the hipped roof.

The 16th-century cross-wing is built on a stone plinth with close-studded timber framing and a continuous jetty on three sides showing exposed joists and dragon beams at the corners. It features a Tudor arched doorway with moulded wooden doorhead and wrought-iron strap hinges, with two and three-light casement windows to the ground floor and a five-light casement to the first floor. A substantial stone and brick chimney appears on the north-west elevation. The building is covered by a red tiled hipped roof with ridge gablets.

The 16th or 17th-century barn has a weatherboarded exterior concealing the timber frame beneath, with a half-hipped tiled roof. Its north-east elevation of four bays contains casement windows with square-leaded lights. A weatherboarded first-floor link with casement window connects to an adjacent oasthouse.

The oasthouses are constructed of squared stone with conical tiled roofs. Casement windows and French door openings have been inserted into the original walls as mid-to-late 20th-century additions.

The central hall of the original house is open to the roof and contains a substantial arch-braced tie-beam supporting an octagonal crown post with moulded base and cap, which in turn supports a crown plate or collar purlin. A small stone and brick fireplace is set into the south-west wall. A gallery was added around 1930 at the north-west end, leading to a first-floor bathroom and below it a study with a 1930s Tudor arched fireplace. At the south-east end, separated by a timber-framed screen with daub panels, is a dining room and lounge to the ground floor and a bedroom to the first floor. The cross-wing contains a small bathroom and sitting room to the ground floor with a large inglenook fireplace. The first floor retains historic wooden flooring and a bedroom with small brick fireplace open to a crown-post roof structure. Wooden-boarded doors with wooden latches and bolts are found throughout.

The 16th or 17th-century barn displays exposed timber framing in several rooms, revealing jowled posts and arched braces, with a clasped-purlin roof structure. It provides ground-floor spaces including a garage, store room and music room, and first-floor bedrooms.

The adjoining oasthouses each have a room on each floor.

The link-range built around 1930 and heightened and widened in the late 20th century is of lesser architectural interest and contains modern kitchen, bathroom and bedroom spaces.