Old Orchards

Old Orchards is a house, probably dating from the first half of the 16th century, which was later encased in the 19th century and altered in the 20th. The structure is timber-framed and clad in mottled pink brick laid in an English garden wall bond, with an interlocking tile roof. It is a single-storey building with an attic, featuring four internal bays and a rear aisle. A wing has been added to the rear right, which is not of particular interest. An off-centre part-glazed door is flanked by two 2-light casements to the left and a 3-light side-sliding sash and a 2-light casement to the right. All of these windows are 20th century and have cambered brick arches and brick sills. The building has dentilled eaves. Three roof dormers are present on the right side. The roof is hipped on the left, with a brick ridge stack to the left and a truncated, offset, external stack at the right end.

The interior retains portions of the timber frame, including aisle posts (one replaced) braced to an arcade plate, close-studded end walls (with some studs removed), and a cambered tie-beam between the right-hand bays, braced to wall posts and purlins, with close-studding above. Wattle-and-daub partition walls are also present. Within the main body of the house (bay 3) there is an inglenook with a bressumer, which has a doorway cut into it on the left, and a large scantling pyramidal-stopped spine beam.