Barfold

Barfold is a house that was originally a farmhouse and later became a lodge. It dates back to the early 17th century but was refronted in the early 19th century and underwent further changes in the late 20th century. The only original part of the building is the east wing; the west wing was constructed in the 1940s, and a link wing was added in the 1990s to connect to a former barn. However, these later additions are not considered of listable quality.

The exterior of the east wing features timber framing, with the ground floor refronted in stone rubble and brick dressings, while the first floor is hung with curved or pointed tiles. The roof is steeply pitched and tiled, with gablets on the north and south sides, and a central brick chimney stack. The house has two storeys, with two windows on the east side and one on both the north and south sides, all of which are 20th-century casement windows. The central ground floor window on the east side likely was originally a doorcase, indicating that the layout was designed with a lobby entrance. The extensions match the original materials.

Inside, the northern ground floor room of the east wing features a large early 17th-century brick arched fireplace with a wooden bressumer. There is an original chamfered spine beam with lambs tongue stops, although the floor joists have been replaced in the 20th century. The southern ground floor room retains a worn 17th-century spine beam with lambs tongue stops. On the first floor, the northern room has a smaller early 17th-century arched brick fireplace, suggesting it was the principal bedroom. The wall frame includes a midrail and diagonal tension braces, along with a queenpost roof featuring purlins and original rafters. A cupboard next to the fireplace has an early 19th-century plank door with pintle hinges. The southern first floor room also has a queenpost roof, and two beams are visible, but there is no access to the roofspace above this room.

Historically, Barfold was likely a lobby entrance plan farmhouse and served as a lodge to Tennyson's Aldworth House in the 19th century. It is an early 17th-century timber-framed house with visible framing on the interior and notable early 17th-century brick fireplaces.