The Queens Head Public House

The Queens Head Public House

This is a public house comprising two distinct medieval and early modern ranges. The east wing possibly originated as a market hall or a surviving solar wing, while the west wing was formerly a farmhouse or alehouse.

The northern two bays of the east wing have been dendro-dated to 1505. The west wing is mainly of mid-17th century date. The east wing was extended to the south in the 18th century with a store also added on the east side. In the later 19th century the building underwent refurbishment and extensions were added on the northern side of the west wing.

The northern two bays of the east wing are timber-framed, though the upper floor has been tile-hung. The west wing is built of local stone in squared blocks, but has been rendered in roughcast on the north side with applied close-studded timber framing above. The south side has two brick lean-to extensions, mainly painted. The roof is tiled with an off-central brick ridge chimneystack and external chimneystacks to the east and south.

The earliest part is the 1505 two-storey, two-bay structure on the east side. In the mid-17th century a two-storey, three-bay lobby entrance house was built alongside it on the west side, and a chimney was added on the east side of the original east wing. In the 18th century the east wing was extended by a bay to the south and a store room added at the north part of the east side. A cellar was probably excavated under the east wing at this time. Finally, two lean-to extensions were added to the south side of the west wing in the 19th century.

The north or entrance front of the east wing has a rendered ground floor over a plinth, a tile-hung first floor and a gable with 19th century applied close-studding and barge boards. There is a triple wooden casement to each floor and a wooden cellar door. The north front of the west wing has a pebble-dashed ground floor and the first floor has 19th century applied timber framing with close-studding. The roof has an off-central 17th century brick chimneystack and two 19th century gabled dormers. The first floor has three 19th century casement windows. The ground floor has a doorcase with a flat hood on brackets where it joins the east wing, then a projecting gabled extension with a patterned timber gable. A projecting gabled porch with barge-boards and built-in wooden seats covers a wide 18th century door surround with a panelled door. There is a triple casement window further west. The west side has an exposed stone front with a gable and a 19th century casement over a cambered doorcase which has been converted into a smaller casement window. The east side is tile-hung over render but part of a jowled post is visible on the first floor and an external chimneystack has a base of semi-dressed Merstham stone with stone quoins, concealed by the added store room. The south elevation has a rendered east wing with a hipped roof and a 19th century casement. The west wing on this side is mainly concealed by 19th century lean-tos but internally a small original leaded-light window with wooden diamond mullions is visible on this wall.

Internally, the 1505 east wing's north and central bays have exposed jowled posts to ground and first floors, with one of the western posts weathered. The central posts retain mortise joints for large braces. The main posts extend below the present floor level, which was raised when the cellar was added beneath. On the first floor the middle posts have been cut back and no longer have jowls. There is a crown post over the central truss, with two up-braces to the collar purlin and two down-braces to the tie beam. The 18th century north bay of the east wing has partitions of thin scantling on the first floor. The west wing ground floor open fireplaces have been opened out to make a through passage but the old brickwork is visible above. Both the western bay (former parlour) and central bay (former hall) have chamfered spine beams and floor joists with lambs' tongue stops. In the eastern bay (former service room) some beams run at 90 degrees to the spine beam at the eastern edge, probably the position of an earlier staircase from ground to first floor. There are winder stairs from the first to attic floor and the attic floor of the west wing retains two plank doors with iron pintle hinges. The west wing has a clasped side purlin roof with angled and vertical queen struts and straight wind braces. There are some carpenter's assembly marks and a rush-light taper burn mark.