Mansers

Mansers is a house created in the 1930s by conversion of three adjoining 17th and 18th century farmbuildings by an architect named Manser. The buildings are framed timber construction with peg-tile roofs and brick stacks, arranged in an approximate U-plan with two ranges running north-south linked by a single-storey range at right angles.

The east range, forming the main part of the house, originated as a five-bay threshing barn with opposed doors, the northernmost bay being either an addition or a rebuilding. Conversion involved infilling the doorways with framing and inserting a floor and stack. The four-bay north range, said to be a former cow byre, now forms an entrance hall. The west range incorporates a 1930s garage with accommodation over and may originally have been an 18th century hay barn.

The exterior displays exposed framing throughout on brick plinths with 1930s timber casement windows of various sizes. The north elevation is the present entrance front, with the four-bay north range at centre, flanked by the gabled end of the east range to the left and the half-hipped end of the west range to the right. A 1930s plank and cover strip front door enters the north range, recessed behind 1930s curving braces imitating the central bay of a Wealden House. A 1930s single-storey porch addition extends from the east range under a two-span roof. Pair of 1930s garage doors with segmental arched lintel occupy the west range end. The east range retains straight tension braces above the middle rail in the bays flanking the former full-height threshing doors, with massive hinges still present from which the original doors were hung. The framing of the north end bay is slightly different, suggesting it may be an addition or rebuilding. The 1930s inserted stack reuses old bricks in the shaft. The rear south elevation of the north range shows four bays with wall posts and concave braces, the bays perhaps originally open, with a 1930s plank and cover strip door of rounded head leading into the entrance hall. The three-bay west range has slender scantling framing with straight up braces above the middle rail.

The interior contains good quality 1930s joinery throughout the east range. An unglazed 17th or 18th century window with stanchions and pegged frame exists on the party wall between the north and east ranges, though not necessarily in its original position.

The east range roof is a butt purlin roof with no ridge board, showing considerable repair and replacement of timbers. Redundant mortises indicate braces below the tie-beam have been removed on the west side for insertion of a first-floor axial passage. The west range has a side purlin roof.