The Minstrels

The Minstrels is a former farmhouse, now a house, dating from the 15th century, with possible later alterations in the late 16th or early 17th century, followed by changes in the 17th century, the early 19th century, and the mid-20th century. It is constructed of timber framing with rendered panels on part, and a stone plinth; the roof is shingled. The house is six bays wide, with one room deep, and two storeys high.

The front of the house features timber framing up to four panels high, slightly higher on the right side of the front door. The eaves are slightly raised on the left, and the left-end bay was added later, with new posts set against earlier ones. Mid-20th century windows are present on the ground floor; a large, two-light casement is on the right, and a four-panel door sits up one stone step under a single-story, gabled open timber porch. To the left of the door are a three-light casement, a paired and single two-light casement. Above, there is a three-light casement, an iron opening light, a two-light horizontal-sliding sash, a five-light casement mounted on the face of the wall (older parts exhibit ovolo moulding), and a two-light horizontal-sliding sash, alongside a two-light casement. A chimney is located on the ridge behind the front door.

Inside, wide stone fireplaces with timber lintels are present, and evidence of altered stonework is visible near the front door. There are stairs behind the chimney. The ceiling has wide, chamfered beams with ogee stops; the room to the left of the entrance has these stops, while rooms beyond do not. The rafters were renewed in the mid-20th century; a truss to the right of the chimney has angled struts. To the left of the chimney, the main timbers of the original two bays are smoke blackened. The open truss principal rafter is tenoned to the inner face of the wall post, with a cambered collar and arch bracing and 'V' struts over. Inner face principals are chamfered. A second truss upper part is of cruck design, with a collar and stud, and an old purlin survives on the front with curved wind braces and a square ridge member - originally. A cruck has been cut off below eaves level. The oldest part of the building is a two-bay cruck structure to the left of the chimney, open to the roof and with a central hearth; the outer walls were later rebuilt, a floor inserted, and possibly a gable chimney built. The house was changed to a lobby entry by enlarging the right-hand end, and at some stage, a further bay was added to the opposite end, or may have been a complete replacement of one bay. The roof was formerly thatched before the mid-20th century. A lean-to on the left end is not of special interest. The property forms a group with the barn and Abbot's Court Farm.