Sumners Farmhouse

Details

DODDINGHURST

TQ59NE DODDINGHURST ROAD 723-1/5/321 (West side) 20/02/76 Sumners Farmhouse (Formerly Listed as: BRENTWOOD DODDINGHURST ROAD, Doddinghurst Sumner's Farmhouse)

II

House. C16, c1600, early C17, later C17, c1700 and C20. Timber-framed, rendered and brick infilled, peg-tiled roof. Rectangular plan with rear stair tower, C17/C18 extension at N end. C20 lean-to at S end. House in 2 units, S end highest, 2 storeys, 2 window range, C20 wooden casements, colour washed wall. C17 stack, 3 shafts 'concertina' form edge on. N end, exposed timber-frame and brick infil, 2 storeys, 3 window range, C20 casements, central door and porch in timber and brick with simple hood, peg tiles, upper part glazed. Door framed and boarded with glazed panel and side glazing. Double stack in line with door. 4 dormers, C20 casements, peg-tiled. N end wall weatherboarded. INTERIOR - complex, several timber-framed phases. Phase (1) earlier C16, medieval hall house with 2 bayed high end cross-wing with front jetty and 2-storeyed service bay. Framing with internal arched bracing and tension bracing in cross-wing. Evidence for 2 oriel windows to the hall and probably under the jetty. Crown post roof, central hall post square with step stopped chamfers, 4 way bracing, no sooting, possible timber-framed chimney originally backing on to cross passage. Service end had appropriate mullioned windows with sliding shutters on ground and first floor. Floor joists with soffit tenons. Cross-wing although now cut back very evident from edge halved and bridled scarfs in both top plates. Floor joists with diminished haunched soffit tenons, suggesting a second phase (1B) but othe evidence suggests hall and cross-wing of one build. Phase (2) c1600. Chimney inserted into upper bay of hall facing low end and doorways inserted next to cross-wing to make a second cross passage at high end behind the stack. Floor inserted into hall, deep sectioned joists with diminished haunched tenons and pendant soffits. Lamb's tongue chamfer stops. Phase (3) early C17. 2-bayed taller block added to high end with integral stack and fireplaces on ground and first floors. Roof clasped side purlin. Ground floor rear wall has window with mullion (ovolo with minor hollow mouldings) and intermediate minor iron mullions and shutter rebates. Phase (4) later C17. Jetty removed and roof re-aligned to principal range, using joggled butt purlins. Lobby entrance door cut through in front of stack and ground floor partition between hall and cross-wing removed, creating one big room. Phase (5) later C17 and C18. Linking stair tower between 2 principal blocks and a narrower chimney added to side of hall stack heating parlour end, also a single storey timber-framed extension to rear of the service end of rudimentary construction. Several sets of carpenters' marks exist on the studding of the house. Rear of house, rendered and colourwashed, irregular C20 casement windows. Early block to N one dormer and one gable with one window in each with glazing bars. Between blocks is stair tower with gabled roof and adjacent, second gabled block with one C20 casement window. C20 lean-to outshut to end of block with a casement window. The house demonstrates a conuinuous series of alterations through its history that are still discernable as the occupants constantly brought the house up to date. The adjacent house, Abreys, is also an old timber-framed farmhouse but recent alterations have now removed it from a listing category. A collapsed barn to the E of the house contained a C13 scarf joint noted by CA Hewett (misprinted as Summers Farm). (Padfield A: Historic buildings in Essex : Issue 2: 1985-: 9-18; Hewett CA: English Historic Carpentry: Chichester: 1980-: 264).

Listing NGR: TQ5968196965

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

373608

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Hewett, C A, English Historic Carpentry, (1980), 264
Padfield, A, Historic Buildings in Essex in Historic Buildings in Essex, Vol. 2, (1985), 9-18

End of official list entry

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