Old Hall

Details

BOREHAM

719/28/592 CHURCH ROAD 25-MAR-88 OLD HALL

GV II A farm house, known as Old Hall, dating from the C15, altered and extended in the C16, C19 and early-C20.

MATERIALS The house has a rendered timber frame to the C15 phase, part-rendered, red brick C19 addition with yellow stock banding and diaper patterns and clay peg tiles to both roofs. PLAN The two-storey C15 phase comprises a hall, aligned approximately north-south, with a cross wing to the north and a projecting east-west, three-storey C19 range at the south.

EXTERIOR The façade of the two-storey C15 building has an entrance door beneath a gablet to the left and early-C19 tripartite vertical sliding sash windows without glazing bars to the right. At first-floor, there are late-C19 tripartite sash and casement windows. The gable roof of the hall has an off-centre, rebuilt diagonal chimney and at the north end there is an east-facing gable in the position of the cross wing, which has a hipped roof with a gablet to the rear. Both the hall and cross wing had jetties which have been underbuilt. The second and third storeys of the C19 range are rendered with decorative applied timber. The principal elevation faces south, most windows are replacements and there are altered openings at the ground floor, where one tripartite window with glazing bars is C19 in date.

INTERIOR Much of the C15 hall and cross wing frame survives and is of good quality and substantial scantling, although there has been some remodelling at the south end of the hall where it conjoins with the C19 range. In the principal room of the ground floor is a large inglenook fireplace with a pegged, chamfered bresummer. Above, the midrail has roll-moulding with stops. The bridging beams have double ogee moulding with run out stops and it is said that the floor joists are similarly treated. Although the frame is replaced at the front, some of the sole plate, wall posts and midrails remain exposed. In the rear of the cross wing, close stud wall frames, wall posts and bridging beams are apparent. The original position of the stairs can be discerned in the ceiling.

On the first floor, close studding, wattle and daub panelling and a diamond mullion window are exposed in the rear wall frame. Slightly cambered tie beams, arched braces and chamfered and stopped storey posts are exposed in the cross wing and main hall. The roof structure of both the hall and cross wing are said to be of a crown post construction. Down bracing from the crown post to the tie beam remains in the hall roof. A two-panel door with `HL' hinges and hob-grate in the main bedroom are of C18 date.

The interior of the C19 range was not inspected.

HISTORY Old Hall Farm lies on the south-eastern outskirts of the historic village of Boreham. The C15 and later farm house, known as Old Hall, lies to the west of the current farm buildings and probably occupies the site of Calwattes or Culverts, a capital messuage documented from the C13. The existing farm buildings date from the C17 and later, but it is possible that they are on the site of the medieval steading.

The earliest configuration comprised a jettied, timber-framed hall with a cross wing at the north end. The hall was ceiled over, probably in the C16 or C17, and the house was altered considerably in the C19, when a three-storey range was added to the south end and the front wall of the hall and rear wall of the cross wing were encased. In the mid-C20 some openings were altered in the C19 range and some windows have been replaced. The building was listed at Grade II in 1988.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Old Hall, a farmhouse of the C15 and later date, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Architecture: It is constructed with a good quality timber frame of substantial scantling which exhibits craftsmanship in construction and detailing. * Intactness: It retains a significant proportion of a C15 hall house with a cross wing. * Interior: The earliest plan-form remains clearly legible despite the remodelling of the C16 and C19. * Group Value: Old Hall has group value with the C17 barn to the north-east, recommended for listing at Grade II.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

449358

Legacy System:

LBS

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