Porters Farmhouse

Details

TL 60 17 HIGH RODING

4/34 Porters Farmhouse

20.2.67

GV I

Manor house, c.1400, altered in C16, now a farmhouse. Timber-framed, plastered, roof tiled. 2-bay hall with integral storeyed service end to N, contemporary 2- bay parlour/solar crosswing to S jettied to W. Chimney stack inserted in N bay of hall, clear of cross-entry, and floor inserted, mid C16. Stair tower in E angle, C16. External chimney stack on S wall of crosswing, C16. Large dormer in S bay of hall, and renewed windows elsewhere, c.1600. W elevation, ground floor, 2 C20 casement windows, front door, large oriel window in crosswing, mullioned and transomed with ovolo mouldings, 13 fixed lights and one wrought- iron casement, c.1600. On first floor, oriel in service bay with single carved bracket and C20 casement window; large oriel dormer with pedimented gable, carved pendants and C20 casement; oriel window in crosswing with pedimental gable, carved pendants and C20 casement windows, (reported by RCHM as bearing the repainted dated 1652, but not now visible). Timber framing partly exposed internally, close studding with external bracing. Original cross-entry still present, front and rear doorheads missing. Twin doorways to service rooms with 4-centred doorheads, blocked but exposed. Doorway in SE corner of hall to parlour, with 4-centred doorhead, complete and in use. Backrest of settle across full width of S wall of hall, 53cm deep, with band of carved chevrons and concentric circles all along top edge, a rare survival. Chamfered arch-braces to cambered tiebeam over hall. All original roofs virtually complete, of crownpost construction. Cross-quadrate crownposts, each with 4 arch braces, over centre of crosswing and hall, the latter heavily smoke-blackened, both intact. Collar-purlin over hall is broken but otherwise uninterrupted, passing close to inserted chimney stack. Some rafters severed in C16 for inserted stack and inserted dormer, otherwise complete, with good series of carpenter's assembly marks. Original patterned daub at both ends of hall, heavily smoke-blackened. More carpenter's assembly marks on studs at S end of hall, a complete series. Moulded wallposts and binding joist in crosswing,ogee with quarter-circle. Stop-chamfered beams first floor. The large oriel window on the ground floor of the crosswing is complete in all particulars, including a contemporary wrought iron casement with spring latch on decorated plate, a rare survival. Upper oriel present structurally but adapted to C20 casements. One inserted ovolo-moulded window in E of ground floor, one in S of upper floor. Ovolo mouldings with small concave above and below attached with handmade nails all round ceilings of hall and crosswing. Octagonal newel post in stair tower, sawn off at top, treads renewed in original positions, possibly over original treads. Inserted chimney stack has a ground floor hearth 3.35 metres wide, an exceptional width, reduced for later fireplace. Upper hearth reported by RCHM to have original moulded mantel beam.

This manor house of high quality has retained more original medieval features unchanged than known elsewhere in Essex. It has undergone one series of alterations in the C16, culminating in a series of ornamental features of c.1600, which also have survived in remarkably intact condition. It is difficult to reconcile the repainted date 1652 reported by the RCHM with any major phase of this building.

The house was reported by the RCHM to be in poor condition c.1920. Since then it has been kept weathertight but with only very minor alterations. It constitutes a valuable source of historical information on two periods of domestic architecture on which the evidence elsewhere is always fragmentary. RCHM 8

Listing NGR: TL6060717009

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

352738

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.