Camptons

Summary

A timber-framed building constructed in the late-fifteenth or early-sixteenth century, with the truncated remnant of a sixteenth or seventeenth century crosswing to the east. The building was added to in the seventeenth or eighteenth century to its west end and altered in the late-nineteenth century to the north end.

Reasons for Designation

Camptons, 126 High Street, Godstone, Surrey, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a good example of a vernacular building of the late C15 or early C16 which retains a significant proportion of well-constructed pre-1700 timber frame, including a crown-post roof structure with carpenters’ assembly marks;

* for the evidence of the building's evolution including the likely presence of an end-jetty and a later C16 or C17 crosswing.

Historic interest:

* as a late medieval building which is illustrative of local vernacular building traditions of the period.

History

Camptons retains a late-medieval core dating to the late C15 or early C16. It may have served two distinct functions historically, as suggested by structural differences in the northern bay of the timber frame, indicated by unaligned joists and inserted doors. Into the C19, the 1840 Tithe Map and Apportionment shows the site consisted of a single bay cottage (north) and a two-bay inn (south) with a crosswing, known as the Rose and Crown, which was licensed by at least 1822 from Post Office directory records. The two structures were later merged, with modifications to the north end including a new canted entrance and gable to integrate signage, shown in archive photographs of the early 1900s. The inn ceased trading in the early C20, and its south-eastern crosswing, which was of probable C16-C17 date, was largely demolished between 1912 and 1933.

The framing evidence of the three-bay historic core suggests that the building was probably jettied at the northern end and was originally floored with three chambers open to the roof on the first floor. The crown post roof construction along with architectural features such as the arch braces, flat-laid joists and ceiling beams with flat-step chamfer stops indicate a construction date no later than 1530-1540. The structural framing on the first floor may have been constructed to accommodate a circulation space, which functioned either as a stair enclosure or a communal lobby entrance to the first-floor rooms. There is no evidence of early smoke control measures apart from a substantial lateral chimney on the western elevation, which appears to have been the only heat source. This is visible in early-C20 photographs but no longer extant. The only surviving chimney is a post-medieval brick stack at the southern end of the building.

A small section of the crosswing remains on the eastern elevation, retaining evidence of a clasped purlin roof, suggesting a date of the C16-17. Early C20 photographs show that, prior to its demolition, the crosswing was gabled and had C19 facing materials corresponding to the main range. It is possible the crosswing replaced an earlier structure contemporary with the main range, since carpenters’ assembly marks on the main crown post roof members distinguish this sequence from another, suggesting that another crown post range was under construction at the same time.

The building underwent further expansion during the C17 with the addition of a single-storey outshut to the north-west, followed by a two-storey hipped-roof extension to the south-west during the C18. In the attic within the southern bay, there is evidence of a C17 or later plain paint scheme, consisting of white plaster panels with black borders set between the roof timbers, which would have extended up to the collars and indicates that the first-floor rooms were originally without ceilings. In 1991, planning permission was granted for the demolition of an existing outbuilding and the erection of a two-storey building to function as a garage, office and store, built to the west side of Camptons. Repair and extensive structural reinforcement of the building’s timber frame was undertaken in 2023.

Details

A timber-framed building constructed in the late C15 or early C16, with the truncated remnant of a C16 or C17 crosswing to the east, C17 and C18 additions to the west and late C19 alterations to the north end.

MATERIALS: the timber-framed structure is underbuilt in brick on the ground floor and concealed by hanging tile at first floor level. The roof coverings are clay tile and the windows are timber casements.

PLAN: Camptons is built to a three-bay plan on a north-south alignment, with an outshut to the north-west and distinct two-storey and single-storey additions to the south-west.

EXTERIOR: the main range is a two-storey building with a hipped roof at the northern end and a gabled roof at the southern end, with a lean-to roof adjoining a large end stack. A brick dentil band marks the division between the two floors. On the east elevation, the southern end retains a projecting gable for a former crosswing. The west elevation has a single-storey outshut with a catslide roof enclosing the two northernmost bays, and a hipped, two-storey addition adjoining the southern bay. A small section of timber framing is visible between the two western additions. The north-east corner of the building is canted and surmounted by a small gable.

INTERIOR: On the ground floor the building is subdivided into three bays by two transverse beams. The beams have substantial mortices with corresponding mortices in the adjacent wall posts for large braces, now missing. Both the central and southern bays have axial beams, double-tenoned into the transverse beams. The ceiling beams are chamfered, with evidence of flat-step chamfer stops and mason’s mitres. The joists are laid flat and run east-west in the central and southern bays, while in the northern bay they are orientated north-south. The northern ends of these joists show signs of weathering and that of the central joist contains a mortice, possibly for a former jetty bracket. There is a girding beam between the northern bay and the outshut which has a recess at its northern end, possibly for a jetty plate and post; its soffit is concealed by a recent partition but an investigation in 2022 prior to repair work noted that it contained a series of mortices for staves and two studs. The joists and wall plate in the north-east corner have been truncated to accommodate the canted entrance. Within the central bay, part of the axial beam has been replaced and a number of joists appear to have been turned on their sides. On the west side of the bay, five joists terminate in an inserted trimmer beam. At the south end, there is a chimney breast with an exposed bressumer and an inserted brick fireplace. The timber frame has been reinforced with oak piers and corbels in conjunction with steel straps and beams.

The first floor is accessed via a partitioned stair in the central bay. The bay partitions incorporate three substantial arch braces supporting the tie beams above. The southern partition has been partially removed, resulting in the loss of the south-eastern brace. The two western braces spring from studs which are inset to accommodate the staircase enclosure, an arrangement which may be indicative of a corridor or lobby entrance serving the first-floor. Two inserted doorways in the central bay lead into the northern bay, the frame of the westernmost cuts across the north-western arch brace.

The crown post roof has three of the original four plain crown posts rising from substantial tie beams. The northernmost has been lost due to the later modifications to the roof structure; however, the tie beam retains three central pegs, marking the original position of the missing post. Several carpenters’ marks remain legible on the surviving crown posts, numbered II to V, most with circular motifs as suffixes. In the northern bay, the collar purlin is missing, and the collar braces are absent on both faces of the crown post. In the southern bay, the southern collar brace has been replaced with a straight brace resting on the tie beam. The collar purlin in this bay is reinforced with steel plates and an oak stud, while a new northern collar brace has been inserted parallel to the historic brace which has distorted.

Evidence of the former eastern crosswing remains in the southern bay, where the original principal rafter truss partially survives with a collar and mortices for the now missing clasped purlins. Within this bay, the southern face of the northern truss is plastered with a black painted outline around the framing, which also features on the brick infill at the southern end. Nails and remnants of plaster on the collars within the northern bay suggest this paint scheme once extended throughout the roof. There is no evidence of smoke blackening on any of the roof timbers.

EXCLUSIONS
Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), it is declared that the outbuilding attached via a single-storey link to the west side of Camptons is a later C20 addition and not of special architectural or historic interest, however any works which have the potential to affect the character of the listed building as a building of special architectural or historic interest may still require LBC and this is a matter for the LPA to determine.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

287769

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
James, D, Carpenters’ Assembly Marks in Timber-Framed Buildings in Vernacular Architecture, Vol. 49, (2018), 1-31
Wild, R, Moir, A, Key Dating Features for Timber-framed Dwellings in Surrey, Vernacular Architecture in Vernacular Architecture, Vol. 44, (2013), 46-61

Other
Godstone Tithe Map (1840)

End of official list entry

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