Details
FEERING INWORTH ROAD
TL 8619-8719 (east side)
8/103 Cobham Oak Cottages
22.1.86 (formerly listed as
Cobhams Oak Cottage)
GV II*
House, now 3 cottages. C13, C16 and C18, under alteration at time of survey,
June 1986. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red plain tiles. The
main range of 4 bays facing SW comprises the service end of an aisled hall,
1250-1300, altered and extended to the right in the C16. Late C16 axial stack
in second bay from left, C18/19 internal stack at left end. 2-bay crosswing to
right, with early.C17 internal stack at the junction. Lean-to extensions of
various dates, C19 and C20, along full length of rear and at right end. Main
range of one storey with attics, crosswing of 2 storeys. 2 early C19 3-light
casements with diamond leading, and one of 2 and one of 3 lights in lean-to
dormers. 2 plain boarded doors. Other windows and doors under alteration at
time of survey. The main range has a gambrel roof. The earliest phase of this
building, 1250-1300, comprises a transverse frame one bay from the left end,
with 2 arcade posts, tiebeam and passing braces. The rear arcade post is
chamfered to a half-octagonal section, with a moulded capital, and square
section above, partly concealed in brickwork, with a double-pegged mortice for
an aisle tie and single-pegged rising mortices for arcade braces. The front
arcade post is similar; both are unjowled. The tiebeam is straight (a short
section in the middle missing) with matrices for 2 lap joints, and trenched for
2 passing braces. These are complete, crossing at the apex and secured to the
arcade posts with open notched lap joints of archaic profile, heavily
smoke-blackened. The front arcade plate is present for almost 2 bays, from the
left end, with matrices for lap-jointed braces. A short section of the rear
arcade plate remains, with a simple edge-halved scarf to a C16 extension to the
left. A late C16 stack has been inserted between the arcade posts, a C20 grate
facing to the right. Posts at the sides indicate that this may have been a
timber framed chimney originally, later bricked in. This building has been
converted to an unaisled hall house in the C16, with a plain doorway in the rear
of the left bay, and one of the existing front doors on the same line, forming a
cross-entry behind the stack. The hall/parlour partition is well constructed of
re-used timber, with a plain doorway through, trenched braces terminating on the
studs, bench fixings, and a C17 inserted doorway above the tiebeam. Diamond
mortices for an unglazed window"in the rear wall of the parlour. Floors
supported on pegged clamps throughout; in the parlour comprising joists of
square section arranged longitudinally, chamfered with lamb's tongue stops, late
C16; in the hall,longitudinal plain joists of various sections; in the left
bay, plain axial beam and plain joists of narrow section, C18/19. Gambrel roof,
C18/19. The crosswing and the stack to left of it are contemporary, early C17.
The stack has 2 large wood-burning hearths with jambs of 0.33 metre brickwork.
The crosswing has one unjowled and 3 jowled posts, short primary bracing, and a
clasped purlin roof with thin curved wind bracing. The central right post has
an elaborately carved bracket, in the solid, supporting an ovolo-moulded
bridging beam with ornamental stops. The joists are of vertical section, jointed
with soffit tenons and extended haunches (C.A. Hewett, English Historic
Carpentry, 1980, figure 307). There are no wattle fixings in the crosswing,
indicating that it was lathed and plastered from the outset. Inserted attic
floor, with chamfered transverse beam with lamb's tongue stops. Possibly RCHM
26.
Listing NGR: TL8720619596
