Description

SX 86 NW BROADHEMPSTON BROADHEMPSTON 2/70 Barters - GV II House, formerly farmhouse. Probably C16 with C17 alterations, extended in C18. Extensively modernised in late C20. Rendered rubble walls with slate roof hipped at lower, right, end and gabled at left end. Large projecting partially rendered lateral stack at front. 2 projecting rubble lateral stacks at rear, the left one is rendered with an area projecting beside it. Originally likely to have been 3 room and through-passage plan, probably with screen passage from the lateral positions of the fireplaces at front and rear of hall and front of lower room. Newel staircase at front of hall. The plan has subsequently been much altered. Probably in the early C18 the house was extended by 1 room at the higher end and either at this stage or in the C19 the house became 2 dwellings. Reputedly during the C20 modernisations wooden screens were removed from the house; this accords with the present lack of internal divisions between the hall and inner room/lower room (depending on the original position of the passage, which is unclear). One puzzling aspect of the hall is the existence in it of 2 lateral fireplaces on opposing walls, both C17; possibly one was reserved for baking purposes. 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front; first floor windows are all single light late C20 casements, similar windows on ground except for left-hand one which is C20 bow window. The extension begins approximately 2/3 way to the left. At centre is a shallow rectangular stair projection with gabled roof. In its right-hand wall is a very small original single light window with round-headed wooden frame. Lateral chimney stack projects to right of centre. 3 C20 plank doors towards left end, immediately to left of stair projection and at right end. Interior has been considerably altered by C20 modernisation but retains a number of C17 features. The right-hand room has a chamfered cross beam with hollow step stops. The fireplace has a chamfered wooden lintel with similar stops. The central room would originally have been the hall and either inner or lower room. It has 2 opposing fireplaces towards its lower (right) end. That on the front wall has a high wooden lintel, chamfered with mason's mitres at either end. The fireplace directly opposite has a chamfered wooden lintel with hollow step stops. Almost central in the room is a heavy cross beam, chamfered with jewel and hollow step stop. At the front of the hall the newel staircase survives. Roof space not inspected but evidence on first floor suggests insubstantial straight principals, likely to have replaced earlier trusses when the thatch was removed from the house in the early-mid C20. This house is likely to have been one of the more important farmhouses in the village in the C17 and despite extensive C20 modernisation it still retains a number of interesting features of C17.

Listing NGR: SX8064566276

External Links

• Wikidata Q26603974

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Recommended Books

• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)