Avenhayes

BUCKERELL SY 10 SW

5/91 Avenhayes 22.2.55

II

House. Late Medieval origins, remodelled and extended in the circa early C17. Whitewashed and rendered, probably cob on stone footings; thatched roof with a plain ridge, half-hipped at the left end, gabled at the right end, wing hipped at end; axial stack and right end stack, both with rendered shafts. Plan: Interesting historic plan form: an overall L plan, the main range a 4 room and through passage arrangement. To the left of the passage the hall, with the hall stack backing on to it and an unheated inner room to the extreme left. To the right of the passage a small unheated service room with an axial passage in front giving access to the heated lower end room. Unheated 1 room plan rear wing at right angles to the lower end. The house originated as a late Medieval open hall of which 1 smoke-blackened jointed cruck survives over the hall. The house was probably remodelled and extended at the lower end in the C17 giving the central service room plan form. The right hand room appears to have been partly rebuilt. Exterior: 2 storeys. Attractive long asymmetrical 4 window front with the eaves thatch eyebrowed over the only 2 first floor windows. Slightly recessed front door, approximately central with a C17 chamfered doorframe with a slightly cambered lintel and a C17 plank and stud front door with big strap hinges. C19 or C20 2- and 3-light casements with small panes. Interior: Rich in carpentry and joinery. The hall, to the left of the passage, has moulded ceiling beams and moulded joists, a plank and muntin screen at the higher end with chamfered muntins with diagonally-cut stops and an open fireplace with chamfered Beerstone jambs and a replaced lintel. The inner room, to the extreme left, has a chamfered crossbeam and exposed joists. The passage has a doorway with a round- headed chamfered frame into the hall and good doorframes into the unheated service room from the cross passage and into the axial passage from the through passage. The unheated service room is made up of plank and muntin screens on all 3 sides, the screen on the lower side incomplete. The screen facing the axial passage has a chamfered doorframe. The lower end room has a re-used crossbeam and rebuilt fireplace. The rear wing has a chamfered stopped crossbeam. The stairs rise from the through passage, cutting into the rear of the unheated service room. Roof: 1 side-pegged jointed cruck truss survives over the hall with sooted principals and some sooted rafters surviving. The rest of the roof in the main range is probably late C17. The wing has a face-pegged jointed cruck roof, probably early C17, apex not seen at time of survey. An evolved house of Medieval origins with an attractively simple exterior. Good interior features and an historic plan form.

Listing NGR: ST1192400251