Romford Farmhouse

TQ 64 SW PEMBURY ROMFORD ROAD

5/424 Romford Farmhouse

II

Former farmhouse. Late C16/early C17 (possibly earlier origins) later C17 extension, some C19 and C20 modernisations. Timber-framed, the earlier section is mostly underbuilt with Flemish bond red brick in more than one phase. Brick stacks and chimneyshafts, the earliest-stack probably has a stone base and is built inside a timbr-framed smoke bay; peg-tile roof.

Plan: 4-room plan house facing south east. Both end rooms have end stacks, the right one projecting. There is a central axial stack serving the room left of centre and it backs onto the present entrance hall. The left hand (south western) 2-room seciton is the original house. The left end room was originally an unheated service room with the hall/living room to right and heated by a smoke bay. Blackened rafters over the hall/living room may suggest late medieval origins as an open hall house but these could not be examined in detail and the sooting may have been caused by a leaking smoke bay. The right hand section appears to be late C19 or early C20 but the outer walls have mid/late C17 timber frames. However there is no evidence of C17 flooring. Maybe it was a barn or agricultural building that was brought into domestic use in the late C19/early C20.

2 storeys with secondary lean-to outshots on the left end and across the rear.

Exterior: The original section has exposed framing at first floor level, 3 uneven bays with large curving tension braces. The addition on the right is clad with false framing. Irregular 4-window front of various C19 and C20 casements, all have glazing bars except the latest which has leaded rectangular pane effect. Front doorway is just right of centre and contains a C20 part-glazed plank door behind a contemporary gabled porch. Main roof is gable-ended to right and hipped to left.

Interior: The structure of the original house is well-preserved. The framing of the original end wall behind the fireplace survives intact right down to the sill. Beams, including the bressummer of the smoke bay, are chamfered with step stops. 3-bay roof (including the smoke bay) carried on closed tie- beam trusses with clasped side purlins and queen struts. The fireplace in the smoke bay is of uncertain date; its sides are plastered and it has a plain oak lintel. Roof over the extension is also of clasped side purlin construction but the timbers are of slender scantling. It was probably put up in the C19.

Listing NGR: TQ6399741246