Budds Farmhouse

Budds Farmhouse

This timber-framed house dates to the 17th century and was re-fronted and modified in the 18th century, with extensions added in the mid-20th century. The building has a timber-frame core with brick walls and first-floor hanging tile. The roof is covered in Horsham stone and clay tile, with brick stacks. Windows consist of metal casements and double-glazed timber casements, mostly dating to the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The building has an L-shaped footprint with a four-bay timber frame running north to south. It is a two-storey structure with a pitched roof. The ground-floor front and side elevations are brick, while the first floor is principally clad in hanging tiles. The rear elevation shows exposed timber framing. The front pitch of the main roof is clad in Horsham stone; the rear pitch and later wings are covered in clay tile.

The three-window front elevation features early 21st-century metal casement windows set in earlier openings. The ground floor is constructed in Sussex-bond brick with blue-brick headers. The off-centre front door is sheltered by a pitched roof porch of stretcher-bond brick with leaded windows. Attached to the north side of the main range is a brick lean-to with a tall lateral brick stack, above which sits the tile-hung north gable end. The south gable end is topped by another brick stack. At the rear is an exposed box-frame with straight wind bracing, infilled with brick and rendered panels, some of which have been repaired and repointed in the early 21st century. At first-floor level are a pair of two-pane windows with diamond-leaded panes.

Internally, the original timber-framed range displays exposed timber framing on both ground and first floors, recently cleaned. The timbers have been reinforced with metal straps, and sections have been replaced, particularly in door frames. Plank doors with strap hinges of various dates are present on both floors.

The off-centre porch leads to the south-end heated room, which features a substantial exposed principal ceiling beam subject to later reinforcement with a secondary beam below and a timber post at the west end. Either side are butt cross-axial beams and ceiling joists, some bearing carpenters' marks. The south wall contains a brick fireplace topped by a timber bressumer with possible carved apotropaic marks, above which sits a decoratively carved timber bracket supporting one end of the cross-axial beam. A corridor runs along the east side. The central room has a chamfered ceiling beam with curved-step stops at each end. A central winder staircase is positioned behind a pantry, with the kitchen extending beyond the original north-end wall into the adjacent lean-to.

On the first floor, box-framing is visible on the internal faces of the external walls and within internal cross walls beneath the principal trusses. Wide floorboards are present. The queen-post trusses have substantial tie beams supported by pairs of timber posts with deep cut-back jowls. At least one central truss has been reinforced with a central straight brace and metal straps. Vacant mortises in some trusses indicate the location of former walls and ceilings. A 19th-century cast-iron fire gate with timber surround is present in the south-end wall. The staircase features a 21st-century first-floor balustrade. Within the attic, a pair of clasped purlins, collars and the tops of the rafters are visible.

The 1970s porch and 1960s garage wing to the north, and the 20th-century weatherboard lean-to attached to the east elevation are not included in the listing. A 1960s two-storey wing attached to the southern half of the rear elevation is of lesser interest.