Lucy's Farmhouse

Details

HILDENBOROUGH LOWER STREET (north side) TQ 54 NE 5/151 Lucy's Farmhouse - GV II

Former farmhouse. Probably late C15 origins, mostly rebuilt in the mid/late C16, some alterations of 1623. Framed construction, partly underbuilt in brick and ragstone; peg-tile roof; brick stack.

Plan and Development: Complex evolution. The house faces south. The left (west) end is the jettied service end of a probably late C15 open hall house, the (right) eastern face of the frame retaining some sooting from the former open hearth fire in the hall. The higher end of the house has been completely rebuilt with a separate frame in the circa mid/late C16 and at that date was heated from a timber-framed stack at the east end. The house probably extended further to the right (east) at that date. This stack was replaced by a projecting brick chimney in 1623 (dated above the lintel) with a contemporary stair adjacent to it. The plan of the existing block is largely that of 1623. The lower end is divided into 2 rooms with a cross passage entrance to its east. The C17 hall at the right (east) end has been sub- divided, probably in the C19 or C20, with a small room to the rear. A probably post C17 stair rises at the rear of the cross passage, blocking the former rear door of the passage. There was formerly a narrow rear wing at right angles to the main block, accessible from the rear door of the passage. This cannot have been earlier than the mid/late C16 but the date of its construction and demolition is unknown.

Exterior: 2 storeys. Roof hipped and gabletted at the left end, gabled at the right end. Asymmetrical 3-window front, the first floor framing exposed with curved tension braces of large scantling, the ground floor infilled with brick of various different dates with a red clay peg-tile pentice along the front. C18 panelled front door with an overlight to left of centre to the cross passage. Various 2-, 3- and 4-light timber casement windows. The left (west) return preserves the remains of a jetty with later underbuilding. The rear elevation clearly shows the junction of the medieval and C16 frames and the blocked rear door of the passage. Redundant mortises indicate a former rear wing. The right (east) return has a 4-light first floor mullioned window, blocked internally, that appears to have been part of the phase and pre-dates the addition of the stack.

Interior: The late medieval service end preserves its original closely-spaced joists of massive scantling to the rear (north) room with evidence of at least one former stair. The south room is plain. On the first floor the right hand face of the frame has a heavy soot crust on the tie-beam and 2 mortises suggest the possibility of a canopy or smoke bay associated with the medieval hall. The rest of the house retains most of its mid/late C16 carpentry including chamfered stopped ceiling beams, a trimmer at the east end on the ground floor giving evidence of the former timber-framed stack. The fireplace has been rebuilt but the date of 1623 above the lintel appears to be original and a chamfered scroll stopped lintel associated with the stair adjacent to the stack suggests that stair and stack are coeval.

Roof: The roof over the lower (west) end is secondary and re-uses medieval smoke-blackened rafters. The roof over the rest of the house is circa mid/late C16, tie-beam with tall queen posts, clasped purlins and wind braces of large scantling.

J.M. Edwards has suggested that the name of Lucy's is connected with Angelina de Luch "who, in about 1220, was claiming the advowson of Leigh Church on the death of her husband, Gilbert de Monchelsea".

An extremely attractive evolved traditional house which preserves more of its original framing than is usual and is rich in internal carpentry.

'Dachurst Manor and Selby's Farm', text of a talk by J.M. Edwards to the Leigh Historical Society, 21.2.96.

Listing NGR: TQ5542448190

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

179585

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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