Christopher Fields

Summary

Farmhouse dating from the C16, extended and re-fronted in the C18. The 1930 and 2002 additions are not of special interest.

Reasons for Designation

Christopher Fields, a timber-framed former farmhouse dating from the C16, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Date: a C16 house re-fronted and extended at both ends in the C18;
* Plan form: the original plan form of a two storey end chimneystack house, the room use and circulation, is still readable despite later additions;
* Interior fittings: there are a number of features of note include a massive C16 open fireplace;
* Degree of survival: a significant proportion of C16 fabric survives including timber-framed wall frame, internal partitions and sandstone and brick chimneystack; also C18 fabric.

History

A building on this site is first referred to in 1565 and the building is named after fields owned by a man called Christopher at that time.

On the 1875 First Edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey map the property is labelled 'Christopher's Farm', a path leads to an entrance in its current position and two farm buildings are shown to the south of the farmhouse. On the 1910 Third Edition Ordnance Survey map it is still a working farm and a further extension has been added at the south-west of the farmhouse and further farm buildings added.

In 1930 an owner called Webb built a further south-east range with a large drawing room and further bedrooms. Circa 2002 further changes took place including a kitchen extension, the first floor weather-boarding was replaced by tile-hanging, the roof timbers were replaced and windows replaced by double-glazing in a traditional style.

Details

Farmhouse dating from the C16, extended and re-fronted in the C18. It was further extended circa 1930 to the south-west and the kitchen was extended, a porch added and the house refurbished and re-fenestrated circa 2002. The 1930 and 2002 additions are not of special interest.

MATERIALS: timber-framed with plaster and brick infill. The first floor is tile-hung with a brick ground floor. The roof is hipped and tiled with a brick chimneystack.

PLAN: the central part of the north-east range is the original part of the building, which was probably a two-storey, three bay, end chimneystack plan originally, extended at each end in the C18. Circa 1930 a further range was added to the south-east and in 2002 a kitchen extension and porch were added.

EXTERIOR: the principal north-east front is clad in tile-hanging on the first floor over a brick ground floor. Two bay posts are exposed on the ground floor north of the porch. There are four unevenly spaced windows with early C21 replacement casements. The main entrance is opposite the chimneystack under an early C21 gabled porch of traditional type.

The south-west side has an extension with a sloping roof in similar materials and an earlier single-storey sandstone outbuilding. The eastern half of this side has an end elevation of the circa 1930 rear range.

The north-west side has an exposed gable end with thin C18 framing with brick infill, and a C19 brick lean-to with some sandstone quoins. The western side has the hipped gable end of the circa 1930 extension.

The south-west elevation comprises the circa 1930 range which has a brick ground floor in stretcher bond and tile-hung first floor with some courses of curved tiles, and a number of casement windows.

INTERIOR: the entrance is through the ledged plank door in the porch and leads directly into an entrance hall with a massive sandstone open fireplace with chamfered wooden bressumer with lamb's tongue stop. The east wall has exposed timber-framing with a midrail and there is similar framing on the north partition wall leading into the sitting room.

The dining room to the south of the entrance hall has some exposed sandstone at the back of the open fireplace and a smaller fireplace with a plain wooden bressumer.

The sitting room has two exposed bay posts along the front wall and exposed ceiling beams.

A staircase in the circa 1930 wing leads to the upper floor where the original south-east external wall frame with midrail is exposed.

The south-eastern master bedroom has an exposed jowled bay post, tie beam and studs to what was probably the original external end wall of the house and a further exposed wallplate to a probable C18 extension.

The penultimate south bedroom has the tapering upper part of the chimneystack, a jowled corner post, the exposed frame to the front and original rear walls with studs and diagonal tension braces, and the lower part of some rafters are visible. The partition between this room and the next to the north has jowled posts and some rush-light marks.

The adjoining penultimate bedroom to the north-east has the exposed original rear wall with a diagonal tension brace.

The north-west end bedroom has wall framing of C18 date including the north-east end wall which has an C18 curved jowl and diagonal tension brace.

End of official list entry

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