Old Swaynes Farm House

House. Dating back to the 16th century, it may have earlier origins with extensions added in the 17th and 18th centuries. The house is timber framed with whitewashed brick and render infilling on the ends and rear, and whitewashed render on the front. It has parallel ranges with plain tiled roofs, replaced in the 20th century, and half-hip ends to the entrance range. The house consists of two builds, parallel and staggered. It is two storeys high, with an offset end stack to the right and a rebuilt stack to the left. There are 20th-century leaded casement windows - four on the first floor and three below. A half-glazed 19th-century door is located to the left of the centre, set within a gabled, boarded porch with braced posts. The right-hand return front features a half-glazed pentice extension across the ground floor and a 'gunstock' main post to the eaves on the right. The gable end of the parallel range is set back to the right. The rear elevation has three framed bays with modest timber scantling, two windows on the first floor and one below. There’s a half-glazed door to the right of centre, covered by a pentice hood on braces. The interior has an exposed timber frame with 'gunstock' main posts on the first floor of the rear range. A splat baluster balustrade is incorporated into the wall in the hallway. Further details of the timber frame and raking queen post and crown post roof trusses are documented in the Surrey Domestic Building Research Group Report No 3376. The house was reputedly the home of Ben Jonson.