Lower Willowray

MORETONHAMPSTEAD SX 78 SE 5/89 Lower Willowray - GV II

House, formerly farmhouse. C17 or earlier. Probably C19 extension at higher end. Granite rubble walls. Thatch roof, hipped to left end, gabled to right, raised above first floor windows. Brick axial stack. Plan probably originally 3-room-and-through-passage, hall stack backing onto passage and removed when in C18/C19 passage and lower end rebuilt as cider house. Gable end fireplace to inner room with a newel staircase to the rear of it. Probably C19 extension to higher end. 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 3-window front, 2 windows to first floor, of 2- and 3- light mid C20 metal frame casements all with diamond leaded panes except for ground floor right of centre which is in a shallow projection and has no glazing bars. Straight joint to right marks the beginning of the extensions. Door to left of centre is C20 plank with timber lintel. To left of centre left window the wall projects in a curve and continues along that line to the left end for the cider house which has wide double doorway to the left and inserted 3-light C20 window to its right. Interior contains some features of interest. Hall has heavy cambered longitudinal beam chamfered with run-out stops and similar half beam at front and rear. Solid wall between hall and inner room which has heavy cross beams chamfered with step stops. Fireplace has chamfered wooden lintel with blocked oven opening in right- hand side. Stone newel staircase at rear of inner room. Roof inaccessible but curved foot of one truss seen likely to be jointed cruck. Lower end survives as cider house with crushing mechanism intact.

Listing NGR: SX7791783043