Mitchell Hall

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

TL 5562 SWAFFHAM BULBECK QUARRY LANE (North Side) 16/144 Mitchell Hall 1.12.1951

GV II

Manor house built probably in the early-mid C16 but altered and extended in C16 and C17 and the facade and gable end cased in yellow brick in C19. Timber-framed, with front wall and gable ends cased in gault brick. Steeply pitched, cement tile roofs with rebuilt ridge stack. The oldest part of the house is the range in Quarry Lane. This is a fine early-mid C16 hall house, floored throughout, with a single bay service end to the right hand. There was possibly a cross-passage between the hall and service bays which was sealed when the house was converted to one of lobby-entry plan later in the century. There may have been a parlour wing or bay at the left hand but no evidence survives in the wall or roof structure to confirm this. Two storeys and attic. Front elevation has two C20 dormers and three C19 recessed hung sashes. The principal doorway is to a two storey, C19, brick porch on the site of the lobby entry.

Hung sash at first floor above doorway with round headed arch.

The rear elevation has exposed framing with middle rails, close studding of substantial scantling and fine serpentine bracing, in the hall at first floor. The fenestration is all C19 or C20 but one window to the first floor is probably on the site of the original hall window. At ground floor a doorway at the low end of the hall, now blocked may well be on the site of one of the opposing doorways to the cross-passage. The range to the High Street is in two bays and is also timber-framed, but C17 with a C19 yellow brick to the road front and render to the rear. The roof ridge is at a lower height. Cement tiled. Two storeys and attic. The fenestration is also C19. Adjoining this range is a lower building, probably early C19, of clunch with a framed rear wall. Part has now been converted for domestic us but originally may well have been a stable or other farm building.

Inside. The service end of the early-mid C16 house is intact.

There are two service doorways, one with its original lintel.

the framing in this partition wall and in the gable is visible.

Each wall has a centre post, continuous from sill to tie beam and the one in the end wall has curved downward bracing from the centre post to the sill. This service bay is cellared. The hall has quartered ceiling and boxed beams but otherwise no features of interest which are visible. The roof is of crown post construction and the original rafters, each pair with its collar are intact, but the crown posts have either been removed or are concealed. No smoke blackening was seen.

R.C.H.M. (North East Cambs.), p106, mon (14)

Listing NGR: TL5558562456

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/1185 IOE Records taken by Bruce Knight; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr Bruce Knight. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project