Moat Farmhouse

Moat Farmhouse is a timber-framed farmhouse occupying a formerly moated site near Five Oak Green, Capel Whetstead Road. The building dates from the late 16th or early 17th century, probably with even earlier origins, with the service end rebuilt in the late 17th or early 18th century, and some minor 19th and 20th century modernisation.

The structure is timber-framed throughout, with most of the ground floor underbuilt in Flemish bond brick in more than one phase. Above first floor level, the timber frame is clad with peg-tile on the front and left end, while the rear and end of the service wing shows exposed framing nogged with brick. The building features brick stacks and chimneyshafts, with the lower section of the main hall and parlour chimneyshaft being constructed of old brick. The roof is covered in peg-tile, half-hipped to the left and hipped to the right.

The house follows an L-plan with the main block facing south-east. It has a three-room-and-cross-passage plan with the parlour at the south-west end, a large hall next to it, and a two-room kitchen crosswing at the north-east end. The hall and parlour section represents the oldest part of the building; the roof structure suggests it may consist of two phases, both likely dating to the late 16th or early 17th century. An axial stack between the hall and parlour serves back-to-back fireplaces. The lower end of the hall is now screened as a cross passage leading from the front door to a main stair rising in a stairblock projecting to the rear. The kitchen crosswing is flush at the front but projects to the rear and includes an axial stack between its two rooms. The house was enlarged in the late 17th or early 18th century, when it assumed its present layout with the addition of the kitchen crosswing and stairblock. The building is two storeys with attics in the roofspace.

The irregular four-window front features 19th and 20th century casements with glazing bars; the older examples are hinged from the top. The front doorway is positioned right of centre and features a late 17th or early 18th century oak frame with a bead-moulded surround, containing the original plank door with attractive alternate narrow canted-face planks. The original ironwork includes hoops on the inside for a draw-bar. An early 20th century monopitch hood crowns the doorway. The doorway is cut through a blocked window; the older brick to the left includes decorative burnt headers, while the window blocking and brick to the right, probably late 17th or early 18th century in date, does not. The side of the crosswing and right end are underbuilt with 20th century brick. The late 17th or early 18th century frame above features relatively slight scantling with straight braces and includes many reused timbers. Blocked original windows remain visible.

The interior contains a great deal of 16th and 17th century carpentry detail. Both the parlour and hall have four-panel intersecting beam ceilings, all chamfered with bar run-out stops. The parlour fireplace is blocked behind a 19th century chimneypiece, while the hall fireplace is plastered with an oak lintel featuring a low Tudor arch. Evidence of a stairway rising to the rear of the parlour remains visible. The rear wall, showing close-studded frame exposed in the outshots, contains no windows but includes a blocked doorway to the parlour with a segmental arch head and moulded surround; carved symbols including the letter T appear on its spandrels. The rooms above feature plain chamfered crossbeams on massive wallposts that are tie beams, once arch-braced. First floor framing in this section comprises large panels with large curving tension braces. First floor fireplaces are blocked. The hall and parlour have different roof constructions. Both are two bays with collared tie-beam trusses with clasped side purlins and small curving windbraces, though the parlour truss has small plain arch braces while the hall truss has queen struts. The attic floor joists over the hall chamber include trimmers for hatches, and the attic contains a wooden hoist of indeterminate date.

The late 17th or early 18th century section features generally plainer carpentry of lesser scantling. Dragon beams appear at the end corners on the first floor. The structure incorporates two parallel roofs of collared tie-beam trusses with staggered butt purlins. The kitchen fireplace is blocked. At the back of the passage stands a chamfered oak doorframe leading to the stairblock and a late 17th or early 18th century winder stair.

Moat Farmhouse is an attractive and interesting farmhouse. The farmer retains old photographs documenting the property from before the infilling of the final section of the moat and before the demolition of some impressive traditional farm buildings.