Cordwent'S Farmhouse

Cordwent’s Farmhouse is probably of late 15th century origin, with later alterations and additions. It is built of random rubble chert and has a gable end slate roof. Originally, it was a three-room cross passage plan house, with the service wing to the right of the passage and a wing added around 1900 at the front. The house retains jointed cruck construction, originally open to the roof. The truss between the hall and service end was later closed, but the roof over the service end shows evidence of smoke-blackening. The inner room, inaccessible from the roof space, juts out over the hall, which was the last room to be floored; a heavily smoke blackened framed partition separates the hall and inner room. The stack in the service end has been dismantled, while an inserted stack, heating the hall, is built of well-coursed grey flint and backs onto the site of the former passage. Sockets for the muntins marking the screen between the passage and service end remain in the floor. Blocked doorways to the passage confirm the existence of at least one at the rear. The exterior front, facing south, features an irregular four-window range with late 20th century casement windows. The rear includes a stone lean-to. Inside, an early planked and studded door, set in a chamfered surround, leads into the service room. A doorway from the former passage into the hall (between the stack and rear wall) features a chamfered, cranked lintel and jambs, with eroded stops. Remaining is a plank and muntin screen between the hall and inner room, morticed into the jointed crucks; the muntins are stopped high up, where a bench once stood, and they are chamfered, mitred, and pegged. Faded traces of zig-zag and diagonal painted decoration remain on the head beam and some of the muntins. The original joists of the jetty were chamfered and curved at the ends, although these decorative features are mostly eroded or destroyed. The roof structure consists of three jointed crucks, trenched purlins, cranked collars, and Alcock F2 type apex carpentry. Chamfered cross ceiling beams have hollow step stops. The hall chamber fireplace has continuous chamfering to the stone jambs and a timber lintel. Lath and plaster framing for a partition between the hall and the inner room is visible, all sooted.