Reasons for Designation
Yes List
Details
BUERTON
1636/0/10006 WOODHOUSE LANE
17-FEB-10 (Off)
YEW TREE FARMHOUSE
II
Farmhouse. Main one half-storey timber framed range probably mid-C17 with C19 brick infill, two brick extensions of early to mid-C18 and 1901-1909, tiled roof.
PLAN: Linear mid-C17 one-and-a-half-storey range aligned east-west with lobby entrance plan consisting of large central room, small parlour to east end and two service rooms to west end (that to north side accessible from attached 1901-1909 extension). Two staircases access four first-floor rooms. One-and-a-half-storey early to mid-C18 kitchen range attached at right angle on north side with one room to each floor, single-storey lean-to dating to 1901-1909 to north-west corner.
EXTERIOR: Small square timber framing to eastern half of mid-C17 range (some timbers missing) with remnants of original wattle and daub infill, some C19 brick infill missing in places. Western half of range largely replaced in brick painted to imitate timber framing. Roof has been raised slightly and brickwork above wall plate painted to imitate timber framing, original thatch roof covering replaced with tiles. Timber windows.
South elevation: three bays. Two bays to left largely rebuilt in brick although wall plate survives. Bay three with full frame including angle and tension braces. Slender 6-light window to ground-floor centre of bay one, dormer window above right (glazing bars and glazing lost). 16-light timber window to ground-floor of bay two with 4-lights to centre flanked by four smaller lights arranged vertically to each side, dormer window above (glazing lost) with single glazing bar to left side, matching glazing bar lost to right side. Doorway to ground-floor right of bay two with C19 plank and batten door, directly below brick ridge stack. Eight-light window to ground-floor centre of bay three with two larger central lights flanked by 3-lights to each side.
West elevation: Gable end of mid-C17 range rebuilt in red brick. Exposed early purlins, principle rafters, ridge piece and remnants of tie beam, infill above where roof has been raised in brown brick. Small 4-light window to first-floor centre, small window opening without glazing to ground-floor left. Single-storey lean-to (1901-1909) attached to left in brown brick painted to imitate timber framing, small 4-light window. Brickwork and two small windows in same style to lean-tos north return wall.
East elevation: Majority of timber frame survives to gable end, some timbers missing to left half below wall plate and brickwork painted to imitate the lost timbers. Paired Queen struts to gable with V-struts above collar beam, small integral window to centre of Queen struts (glazing lost) with single glazing bar to left side. Small surviving section of wattle and daub infill between two Queen struts to right.
North elevation: Full frame to bay one including angle and tension braces, later inserted doorway containing fragment of a C19 plank and batten door accesses under-stair storage area. Short early to mid-C18 (pre-1762) one-and-a-half-storey kitchen range in brown and red brick attached to bay two at a right angle, tiled roof (also raised slightly) with short brick ridge stack to north end. Doorway to ground-floor left of east elevation with wide plank and batten door containing four planks of irregular width, 4-light window to right of door. North facing gable end to right return with small window (glazing lost) to first-floor right, north wall of early C20 lean-to attached to right of gable end (concealing bay three of mid-C17 range).
INTERIOR: Tiled and earth floors to ground floor rooms, wide floorboard floors to first-floor rooms. Mid-C17 range: three cells long. Exposed ceiling joists to all ground-floor rooms with heavy supporting beams with wide chamfers of approximately two inches, some with straight-cut stops. Later lath and plaster ceilings to first-floor rooms. Small parlour to east end with C19 plank and batten door, plastered walls, shallow skirtings, mid-C19 timber fire surround with arched cast-iron insert to west wall, heavy chamfered beam running east-west with straight-cut stops to west end, recessed window with very deep reveals to south wall, C19 inserted north wall of plastered brick with under-stair storage area behind accessible externally on north side of building. Large room to centre of range spanning full-width with timber framed west wall with later brick infill, inglenook fireplace to east wall with C19 inserted cast-iron range, heavy chamfered beam to centre of room running east-west (in alignment with that to parlour) with straight-cut stops to west end. C19 plank and batten doors to north end of east and west walls lead to replaced C19 timber stairs leading to first floor rooms. Low pegged-in mid-C17 cambered doorway to far left of west wall with three-plank plank and batten door set flush behind doorframe leads into narrow service room with a raised floor and low ceiling at west end of range. Room contains whitewashed timber framing to north and east walls. Winder stair to west end of central room leads to small first-floor landing accessing three rooms, all with early plank and batten doors with wooden latches and wide planks of irregular width. Room to west end and small room to south side both with some exposed timber framing. Single step to east side of landing leads into large room to centre with a slightly higher floor level, exposed timber framing to each wall, exposed lower sections of two different roof trusses at each end of room; that to west end with tie beam incorporating integral pegged-in doorway, collar beam and king and queen struts; that to east end with straight wind braces flanking a tapered brick chimneybreast. Stair at eastern end of room to ground-floor centre leads directly into first-floor room at east end of range. Whitewashed timber framing visible to each wall, principal rafters visible to west wall, mid-C19 timber fire surround and cast-iron grate to later chimneybreast to west wall. Gap in later inserted lath and plaster ceiling enabled partial viewing of roof structure above; mainly consists of early C20 rafters, although early purlins, a ridge piece and roof truss timbers could also just be observed.
Early to mid-C18 kitchen range and early C20 lean-to: Doorway in north wall of room to ground-floor centre of mid-C17 range leads into early to mid-C18 kitchen range. Ground-floor room of kitchen range with exposed ceiling joists and heavy chamfered beam running north-south with stops at each end, large fireplace bressumer to north wall. Enclosed panelled timber ladder-style stair with a hatch cover alongside south wall accesses first-floor room above containing chimneybreast to north wall and visible timber framing to south wall (original external wall of mid-C17 range). Inserted doorway to west wall of ground-floor room leads into early C20 lean-to with a half-truss roof and timber framed south wall (original external wall of mid-C17 range) containing two doorway openings; that to east end is taller and is blocked up on reverse side, that to centre is lower with a plank and batten door with four planks of irregular width. Infill panels removed to section of frame to western end of south wall creating third opening. Two latter openings access narrow room to rear right of mid-C17 range with visible timber framing to north, south and east walls, exposed ceiling joists and heavy chamfered beam running east-west with stops at each end.
HISTORY: The exact date of construction of Yew Tree Farmhouse is unknown but it is believed to have probably been constructed in the mid-C17 as a one-and-a-half-storey farmhouse. A one-and-a-half-storey kitchen range was later added at a right angle to the original range, probably in the early to mid-C18 (the extension is depicted on an historic map dating to 1762), and a single-storey infill extension was added to the rear right of the building between 1901-1909.
In the late C17 the building was known as Woodhouse Lane Farm and in c.1680 it formed part of the Buerton Estate owned by Sir Thomas Delves of Doddington. At this time it was a thatched timber framed building with wattle and daub and brick infill. It was tenanted to Michael and Isabel Huntbach and their family, and the farm was used for both arable and pasture farming. The tenancy passed down through the family generations. The Huntbach family later bought two neighbouring parcels of land, 'The Big Field' and 'The Patch'. Upon the latter they built a house known as The Ash in c.1770. The tenancy remained in the Huntbach family until 1784.
The farm continued to be tenanted out to various people until 1904 when the farm was sold by Sir Delves Louis Broughton to Henry Charles Green for £2500. It is at this point that the building is believed to have changed name to Yew Tree Farm (in the 3rd edition OS map for Shropshire published in 1909 it is depicted as 'Yewtree' for the first time - a singular name that has since evolved into the separate 'Yew Tree'). In 1914 both Yew Tree Farmhouse and The Ash were sold to a Mr Nield who had been renting The Ash. Both properties then became collectively known as The Ash, but at some subsequent point during the C20 the name Yew Tree Farmhouse came back into use. Since c.1904 Yew Tree Farmhouse has not been inhabited.
SOURCES:
Moran M. Vernacular Buildings of Shropshire. (2003).
Unpublished:
Hardy G. The Huntbach Family Ancestral Home. (c.2004).
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Yew Tree Farmhouse is designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: It is an interesting survival of a mid -C17 timber-framed farmhouse that was enlarged in the early to mid-C18 and early C20, and updated in the C19
* Readable developmental history: Each phase of the building's development is readable in the plan layout and the surviving fabric
* Interior survival: It retains good quality interior features from each phase of the building's development, including C17 heavy chamfered beams with straight-cut stops, a cambered doorway, plank and batten doors with wooden latches and an inglenook fireplace, and mid-C19 fireplaces and a cast-iron range
