Old Place Yard House

House. It likely dates from the mid to late 16th century, incorporating elements from the medieval period, and was altered in the early 20th century. The house is constructed of part-rendered limestone rubble, with wooden lintels, and has Stonesfield-slate and plain-tile roofs with brick stacks. The layout consists of three main areas, with a rear outshut, an added bay, and a linked rear range. It stands two storeys high with attics. The front of the main range, with three windows, is rendered and features canted bay windows with doors in the second and third bays. The other windows are renewed 2-light casements. A steep-pitched roof has a gable stack to the left and a clustered stack to the right of centre. A three-window section, set back and with a lower roof, was added to the right. The left gable wall is medieval and has a later gable; it was probably part of the gatehouse to Bicester Priory, and returns to the outshut. The rear wall of the main range includes a single-light stair window and a small two-light leaded window, both with heavy chamfered frames and massive lintels. A single-storey rubble rear range, parallel to and linked with the main range, has a steep-pitched tiled roof and casement windows. Inside, a massive internal stack features a splayed ashlar fireplace with a chamfered segmental head, and another large fireplace behind it, altered but retaining a large chamfered bressumer. There are heavy chamfered intersecting beams, remains of timber-framed partitions, and a butt-purlin roof with large raking struts to the trusses. The medieval wall is approximately 1.4 metres thick at the base.