Moat House

MOAT HOUSE

Farmhouse, 17th century with later alterations, formerly having seven gables of which three remain on the right side. The building is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with stone dressings, and has a pantiled roof with ridge stacks. It comprises 2½ storeys and 3 windows, with 3 gables rising higher than the roof ridges.

The main front features ground and first floor windows to the left with 8-light hollow-chamfered mullion and transom windows with king mullion, leaded lights and hood mould. To the right are 3-light casements with hollow-chamfered mullions and hood mould. A central flat-roofed porch has a cornice and blocking course, with 2-light windows to each side, a panelled and glazed door, and a similar 3-light window above at first floor. Each gable has a 2-light casement with hood mould; the central one is blocked and lacks hood mould.

The left return has a ground floor central cross window with hollow-chamfered mullion and transom and hood mould. Two timber lintels remain from blocked entrances to the former great hall. A 2-light similar casement sits under the eaves to the right, and a 4-pane light exists at first floor left. At the right return, the gable end to the left has 3-light similar windows at ground and first floors and 2-light at attic, with lights to the left at ground and first floors blocked.

A rear wing to the right is 2½ storeys with 2 windows, featuring two 3-light casements at ground floor with ovolo mullions and hood mould. The first floor has a 3-light casement with hollow-chamfered mullions and hood mould to the left, and a 19th-century 3-light casement with chamfered mullions and dripstone to the right. The gable to the right has a 2-light casement with chamfered mullion and hood mould, with a stack above. A lean-to attached to the right has two 2-light casements to the rear and a door to the inner side.

The rear has the gable end of the wing to the left and two gable ends to the right. The left gable end has a first floor 2-light hollow-chamfered casement with hood mould to the inner side. The gable to the left has a similar first floor window and a 20th-century 2-light window above with a relieving arch. A single-storey lean-to along the rear has a door and multi-pane window. Inside this lean-to is a 2-light casement with hood mould and heavy timber lintel.

Interior: The ground floor front left room, formerly the ante-room to the great hall, has a fine plaster ceiling with large Tudor roses at the corners and a central ribbed pattern with fruit and flowers. The walls are completely panelled with an entry for a door and a carved frieze. The panelling over the fireplace has fluted pilasters with round-headed recesses containing diamonds and chevrons. The stone fireplace has a moulded Tudor arch with a cornice supported on scrolled brackets, a frieze and dentil cornice under the mantel, and cupboards to the sides. The front right room has bolection-moulded panelling. The rear right room has a fireplace with cornice and mantel.

At first floor, doors have elaborate pumpkin stops to their frames. The front left room has panelling and frieze with a stone fireplace and cupboard to the side with cock's head hinges. A 19th-century stair runs from ground to first floor. From the first floor an original newel and wide winder stair survives. The central stack to the left has a blocked fireplace with cambered lintel. In the roof, one arched-brace collar truss and one pair of windbraces survive, probably over the former solar wing.