Farnham House

TQ 53 NE SPELDHURST FARNHAM LANE

8/475 Farnham House

II

Former farmhouse. Late medieval (probably late C15) origins, enlarged and rearranged in the mid C17, reduced in size probably in the C19, some C20 modernisation. Cellar has sandstone walls, mostly plastered. Timber framing above is mostly underbuilt with red brick and hung with peg-tile above but north side frame is intact to ground floor level; it is exposed this side and brick nogged. Brick stacks and stone bases, brick chimneyshafts.

Plan: L-plan house. Main block faces north with a 2-room plan. Larger right room with large gable-end stack. Main doorway now in the left (east) end. One-room plan rear block projects at right angles to rear right and it has a projecting gable-end stack. The rear block appears to be the medieval core of the house whilst the main block is wholly C17. Also the number of flues from the main block stack indicate that it was built to serve back-to-back fireplaces and therefore that the main block formerly extended at least one room further westwards.

2 storeys with attics in the roofspace and a basement under the main block. Lean-to outshot on the right end and C20 single storey extension behind the rear block.

Exterior: Tail building with irregular 2-window front (3 with the outshot), all C20 casements with diamond leaded pane effect. Similar windows around the rest of the house. Tall roof is gable-ended and steps down very slightly from right to left. Doorway into left end where ground is built up on a terrace. It contains a C20 plank door with coverstrips behind a gabled porch on plain posts.

Interior: Most of the carpentry appears to be C17. The beams throughout the house are chamfered with scroll stops. Main ground floor rooms have relatively small sandstone fireplaces with chamfered oak lintels. Old kitchen fireplace in the basement under the outshot at the east end of the main block. The other side of the stack at basement level there is a large brick oven of uncertian date. Roof of main block of clasped side purlin construction. There is a good late medieval truss in the rear block, adjoining the front block. It is built of large scantling timbers. Tie beam has large chamfered arch braces. The roofspace above is not acessible. However since some sooted common rafters are reused in the C17 roof it is thought that the late medieval truss was originally over an open hall which was heated by an open hearth fire.

Listing NGR: TQ5523439894