Wadhayes Farmhouse

Wadhayes Farmhouse

Farmhouse with late Medieval origins, modernized and probably extended in 1621 (datestone), with some 18th-century refurbishment and minor 20th-century alterations. The building is constructed of roughcast over probable stone rubble, with a red pantile roof, hipped at the left end and gabled at the right end (probably formerly thatched). There are three chimney stacks: one at the right end and two axial stacks, all with brick shafts.

The building displays complex plan evolution, now arranged in a U-shape comprising a south-facing main range three rooms wide with a through passage to the right of centre, and rear crosswings at right angles to the main range at both left (west) and right (east) ends. A small yard to the rear (north) between the crosswings is enclosed on the north side by a separately listed 17th-century farmbuilding.

The core of the main range is a late Medieval open hall house of high quality dating to the late 15th or early 16th century, of which three smoke-blackened arch-braced trusses survive over the higher (west) end. The date 1621 is carved over the front door of the passage, which is flanked by mullioned windows matching the doorframe. This date likely refers to a general modernization including the flooring of the hall and introduction of chimney stacks (the hall stack backing onto the passage), as well as the doorframe and mullioned windows. The lower (east) end, probably extended at the same time, appears to have functioned as the principal parlour after 1621 judging from window size, but was subsequently used as a kitchen. The adjoining dairy crosswing may be an 18th-century addition. The history of the higher (west) end is more complex. The crosswing at this end dates to at least the 17th century (exposed carpentry on the ground floor survives), but the west end room of the main range is plain, suggesting some rebuilding possibly in the 18th century. An 18th-century date is likely for the rear axial passage between the crosswing and the through passage; this has reduced the size of the centre room in the main range and partitioned it from the winder stair rising on the rear (north) wall. A possibly 17th-century archway gives access to the narrow north courtyard between the house and the 17th-century farmbuilding parallel to it.

The exterior comprises two storeys with an asymmetrical three-window south front. The 17th-century front door to the through passage features a moulded Beerstone frame with a Tudor arch and moulded spandrels. The name John Parris is carved in Gothic letters on the lintel with the date 1621. The porch is most unusual: an open timber structure on posts with a flat lead roof concealed behind a deep moulded cornice. The posts are 20th-century replacements but support 17th-century Tudor arched lintels with moulded spandrels. The lintels and cornice appear to be 17th-century, though the form of the porch looks early 19th-century, as does a timber frieze covering the junction between the cornice and lintels. The soffit of the porch roof is boarded with probably Medieval Gothic blind tracery. The two Beerstone ground floor windows are almost certainly from 1621: the right-hand window is six lights with ovolo-moulded mullions and a hoodmould with label stops; a matching four-light window to the left has a king mullion and hoodmould with label stops. The three first-floor windows are late 20th-century timber casements. Pigeon holes appear on the right return of the range end adjoining the north-east wing. A section of stone rubble wall encloses the rear (north) courtyard with a Tudor arched probably early 17th-century stone doorframe with a keystone.

The interior, inspected only partially at the time of survey, reveals that rooms to the left of the passage and the north-east crosswing have exposed chamfered ceiling beams of 17th-century date. An 18th-century cupboard with fielded panels indicates an 18th-century or earlier date for the axial passage to the rear of the main range. A wide winder stair rises from this passage. The right-hand room, not fully seen at survey (1987), has exposed crossbeams and an open fireplace.

A high-quality Medieval roof survives over the left-hand (west) end of the main range, comprising three massive, heavily-sooted, arch-braced trusses with chamfered braces and peaked collars. The trusses are of some form of cruck construction, but the principals are plastered-over in the first-floor room so the specific type of cruck was not apparent on survey. Each principal has a neat face-pegged scarf joint above collar level. The trusses have triangular strengthening pieces below the apex and a diagonally-set ridge. The purlins and rafters are intact. Flanking the inserted axial stack on each side of the ridge, a horizontal timber is fixed between two adjacent rafters with a mortise joint. The roof is particularly heavily encrusted with soot at this point, and these two horizontal timbers likely represent a Medieval arrangement for smoke escape. Over the right end of the house, the roof appears to be an 18th-century replacement.

An exceptionally interesting large house of Medieval origins with Medieval roof carpentry of particularly high quality. The mullioned windows, doorframes, and porch are unusual survivals, and the evolved plan form, including the early farmbuilding, reflects stages in the development of the house from circa the early 16th century to the 18th century.