The Tanhouse

The Tanhouse is a 17th-century house, altered in the 18th century and extended around 1920. It is constructed of brick in Flemish bond, with occasional English courses, and has a stone plinth and a tiled roof. A rubble stone base is visible on the chimney in the gable, as well as on a side wall to the rear wing and to the back and side of the 1920 extension. The house is two storeys high and originally comprised two rooms at the front, now arranged in an ‘L’ shape. The front wall is brick and dates to the late 18th century. The front door is slightly off-centre to the right and has a projecting hood. There are two-light casement windows on each floor, one on each side. An eaves course features cogged dentils. The rear brick wall of the main house has a plain string course, and elliptical-headed windows with brick-on-end voussoirs. One of the two ground floor windows has been reduced in size, and one of the two first-floor windows has a four-light ovolo-moulded frame.

Entry is direct to the main room, which features a moulded axial ceiling and wall beams. A beam is carved with “IHMI 1669"; the beams may be from this date or potentially reused. Beams in the room to the left and on the first floor have pyramid stops terminating in a stylised flower, on a large chamfer. The staircase in the rear wing has a heavy, moulded handrail and turned balusters, though it has been reset. A timber-framed wall separates the main front and rear wings, with a lower wall plate than the present brick structure; the top of a corner post is visible in the gable. The rear wing, containing the staircase, was rebuilt on two sides in the mid-20th century and later extended. The house was formerly occupied by J. Dowding, who developed the Blaisdon Red Plum.