Rats Castle

Rats Castle is a farmhouse that may date back to the 14th century but has undergone significant alterations, particularly in the 16th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The building features a timber frame and a ground floor made of random galletted rubble stone, which is underbuilt to conceal the jetty above. The first floor is tile-hung, and the roof is steep, hipped, and plain tiled, with gablets and a small return gable over a projecting two-storey bay. There are two gables at the rear and two dormers on the west side. The structure has two storeys, an attic, and a cellar located in the south-west corner. The north side has three very irregular casement windows. An off-centre Tudor doorway features a moulded arched brick surround, with carved stone imposts that have sphinx-like masks. The initials S. C., representing Stephen Chilman, the owner, are found in the gable and date from the Elizabethan period. A modern one-storey verandah is attached to the south side, with a balcony above. Inside, half of the hall has been opened up, showcasing a decorated beam at the east end and a 16th-century fireplace with a wooden bressumer.