Scots Farmhouse

Scots Farmhouse

A timber-framed farmhouse dating from the 15th century, apparently constructed in two or three phases. The timber frame is infilled with wattle and daub and brick nogging beneath a plain tile roof. Red brick has replaced the framing on the southern side and at ground floor level on the east and west sides. Windows have uPVC surrounds unless otherwise noted.

The building comprises two storeys and is L-shaped in plan, with two principal chambers on each floor in each range. The northern end of the north-south range appears to have been two-storeyed from the outset, though it remains unclear whether the central bay was originally an open hall later floored over. The north-south range has a cross passage at its southern end. The east-west range appears to have been added later, with a further addition to its western end. Gable chimney stacks stand at either end of the east-west range, while a central stack to the north-south range is clearly a later addition.

The south front has a flint and brick plinth, above which the walling is of red brick laid in Flemish bond, appearing to be a 19th-century rebuilding of the earlier timber frame. The walling at left projects slightly with a corresponding rise in the roof ridge to the right. Windows across the front have been replaced with uPVC, though the openings have not been extended. Ground-floor window and door heads are cambered; two three-light windows flank a centre where both a window and door opening have been blocked. The first floor has a three-light casement to the left and two two-light casements to the right.

The western gable end features a brick chimney stack to the right with square panels of flint and tumbled bricks to the offsets. To its left, the structure is timber-framed with close studding and herringbone brick infill. The lower body of the left side is masked by a 20th-century addition. The rear of the east-west range connects with the north-south range on its eastern side; the exposed western part shows close-studded first-floor walling with arched braces connecting corner posts to the wall plate and herringbone brick infill. The girding beam between floors has mortice holes indicating that the ground floor was originally also close-studded, as still appears at the far right, though most original infill has been replaced by 19th-century brick in stretcher bond. The ground floor window is a three-light uPVC casement; the two-light first-floor window has a moulded sill supported by a bracket and may be original.

The eastern gable end of the east-west range is built of 19th-century Flemish-bond brick. A central chimney stack has small lean-to additions at its base on either side, possibly former bread ovens. To the right, the eastern flank of the north-south wing has 19th-century brick walling with renewed fenestration. A gabled porch with clapboarded walling marks one end of the cross passage at left of the ground floor. To its right is a broad bay of timber framing. Ground-floor walling has been replaced with 19th-century brick, but the first floor retains close-studded walling with main posts from which arched braces connect to the wall plate. Infill is principally wattle and daub with some 19th-century brick replacement. A central four-light window with timber mullions shows evidence of having originally extended lower and is now partially blocked with brick.

The northern gable end has close studding to both floors and arched braces to the first floor. The lower gable body is similarly close-studded, but the upper part above the collar beam has later vertical posts. A pair of 20th-century garage doors have been inserted at ground floor right with a single small window at centre of first floor. Ground-floor infill has been removed; first-floor infill is 19th-century brick and lower gable infill is wattle and daub.

The west flank of the north-south wing has two wide bays of timber framing. Three main posts survive to full height, but ground-floor infill has been replaced by Flemish-bond brick walling. First-floor walling is close-studded with arched braces. The left bay is blind; the right bay has a three-light ground-floor window and a 19th-century plank door leading to the cross passage. A first-floor horizontal window at right cuts through an arched brace; the two-light casement at left has a moulded surround supported on a bracket, similar to examples on the north front of the east-west range and possibly original.

Interior: Ground-floor rooms have chamfered beams and closely-set joists with stepped end stops. A ground-floor partition wall in the east-west range, probably formerly an external wall, is close-studded. A 19th-century staircase leads to a generous landing. Close-studded walling and jowled corner posts are exposed at first-floor level in the east-west wing. The north-south wing has been cleared of later additions at first-floor level, exposing the timber frame and the junction between the two principal ranges, which were not bonded with each other and have two adjacent corner posts with arched braces. Substantial timbers are used throughout. A partition between the two floors with arched braces clearly includes a doorway to one side, indicating that a first floor and partition were integral to the built structure at this northern end. The truss has queen posts with gently cambered upper surfaces to the tie and collar. Apparent soot blackening is uneven, perhaps indicating a leaking chimney stack, though it may indicate a former open hall.