Ashwell House And Outbuilding Adjoining At East

Ashwell House, along with an adjoining outbuilding, is a former farmhouse dating from the 18th century, likely a complete remodelling of an earlier structure due to evidence of fire damage. The building is constructed of whitewashed rendered cob and stone, featuring a thatched roof with a plain ridge, hipped at the left end, and gabled at the right end. It has a projecting stack at the right end with set-offs, a rear left lateral stack, and a truncated stack at the right end leading to a lean-to.

The layout consists of a single-depth main range with two principal rooms at the front, one on either side of a stair hall, and a narrow service room in a likely later rear left outshut, which has been raised to two storeys at the centre and right. The outbuilding, which shares the same roofline, is located at the left end. The presence of charred carpentry on the ground floor indicates significant fire damage, suggesting that the current layout may have evolved from a 17th century or earlier house.

The exterior is two storeys high with a symmetrical three-window front and regular fenestration. It features a central gabled porch from the 20th century with a plank front door. There is an attractive set of 19th century casements with glazing bars, including a three-light casement on the ground floor right and two-light casements elsewhere, with a 20th century replacement on the first floor left that has larger panes. The outbuilding has a doorway on the front.

Inside, there is no exposed carpentry, and 20th century fireplaces may be hiding earlier features. The crosswall separating the house from the outbuilding does not seem to be tied into the masonry of the front and rear walls and contains wattle and daub infill in the gable. Access to the roof apex was not available during the survey in 1987, but the visible timbers in the outbuilding appear to be from the 18th century, while the principal rafters seen on the first floor of the house are straight, indicating a post-17th century date. Overall, Ashwell House is an attractive traditional house with an unspoiled exterior.