Hole Farmhouse

TQ 54 SE SPELDHURST FARNHAM LANE

4/476 Hole Farmhouse

II

Farmhouse. Early/mid C19, refurbished and enlarged circa 1970. Exposed timber framing, massively underbuilt with coursed blocks of sandstone ashlar, the frame is nogged with smaller blocks of the same stone, the extension is local ashlar; brick stacks (the older one on a stone base) and chimneyshafts; peg-tile roof.

Plan and Development: Small house facing south west and built in a valley bottom and against the steep slope of its side. It has a 4-room plan in 3- cells. The right (south eastern) cell was added circa 1970 and it contains 2 rooms; a larger front room kitchen with a stack to rear backing onto a small utility room. The other 2 rooms make up the C17 house. It had a 2-room lobby entrance plan with a larger living room to left and heated by an axial stack backing onto an unheated service room, now in the centre.

House is 2 storeys and the C17 section has attic rooms in the roofspace.

Exterior: Is most attractive. It has an irregular 4-window front overall, circa 1970 timber-framed windows with iron-framed casements containing rectangular panes of leaded glass. The 2-window section to right is the circa 1970 extension. The framed section is the original, a 2-window section in 3 uneven bays which show the internal layout. The narrow centre bay here is the entrance and the 2 full height wall posts form the jambs of the original doorframe which has a chamfered surround and contains a circa 1970 door in Tudor style. The original frame shows on the 3 outside walls and is virtually intact above first floor level. It is of heavy scantling with curving tension braces. There is also some framing at first floor level behind the extension which looks like it has been made up of reused timbers. The roof is gable- ended to left and hipped to right. The section over the older part rises higher and the old half-hip is used to drop the ridge down to the C20 roof.

Interior: The basic structure of the C17 house survives. Large fireplace has stone ashlar jambs, a brick back and oak lintel; there is an oven doorway through the left jamb. In the same room the axial beam and joists are chamfered with step stops. Plain joists in the service rooms (some maybe replacements). Main chamber has a chamfered axial beam. The wall posts have large jowls and carry tie-beam trusses with queen struts and clasped side purlins.

Hole Farmhouse is a good example of a small C17 house.

Listing NGR: TQ5539240162