Farmhouse at Walnut Tree Farm

Summary

Farmhouse, likely built in the late C16 or early C17 as an open hall house with later outshut, re-fronted with brick in the late C18 or early C19.

Reasons for Designation

The farmhouse at Walnut Tree Farm is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:
* for the architectural quality of this historic vernacular dwelling, likely constructed in the late C16 or early C17 as a four-bay, open hall house with a cross passage;
* for the high proportion of survival of its historic plan form and timber structure, including wall framing, two chamfered beams, a four-centred arched doorway to the former cross passage, and diamond-mullioned window to the rear.

Historic interest:
* as a middle-sized farmhouse which has adapted and evolved over the course of the last three centuries and illustrates the changing tastes and agricultural economics of farming communities over the same period.

History

The farmstead now known as ‘Walnut Tree Farm’ was listed as a ‘homestead’ on the Tithe apportionment of 1838. The Tithe plan of Badingham of 1839 depicts the L-plan farmhouse, and the detached rectangular-plan barn south-west of the house. By the time of the 1884 Ordnance Survey (OS), the farmstead had become known as ‘Glovergreen’s Farm’, and is labelled as such on the 1884, 1905 and 1951 OS maps. The 1884 OS map shows a U-plan group of farm buildings south-west of the house; by this time the barn had been extended to the south-west enclosing the west side of the farmyard (only fragments of wall survive), and a stable building constructed south-east of the barn, enclosing the south side of the farmyard.

The farmhouse is a middle-sized timber-framed building, and its plan form suggests it was constructed as a four-bay, open hall house with a cross passage at the lower (east) end. Typically, the cross passage would have provided access to an open buttery and pantry to the east, potentially with a service room over, and kitchen to the north. At the higher (west) end of the hall a staircase would have provided access to a first-floor private chamber or solar over a ground floor parlour. The plan form, chamfered ground floor beams, diamond-section mullioned window and four-centred arched doorway to the rear suggest the house was constructed in the late C16 or early C17 (Brunskill). A chimneystack was later introduced between the central and west bays, the first floor extended the length of the house, and the house later re-fronted with red brick, probably in the late C18 or early C19. The choice of monk bond was likely influenced by the introduction of a brick tax in 1784 which incentivised the use of less bricks in a construction. The barn, also constructed of red brick laid in monk bond, was most likely constructed at the same time as the re-fronting of the farmhouse in the late C18 or early C19.

Details

Farmhouse, likely built in the late C16 or early C17 as an open hall house with later outshut, re-fronted with brick in the late C18 or early C19.

MATERIALS: The roof has a clay pantile covering and the timber-framed walls are fronted with red brick or rendered.

PLAN: The farmhouse is L-shaped on plan, aligned east to west and faces south. It appears to have been constructed as a four-bay open hall house with a cross passage, with a later lean-to outshut to the rear.

EXTERIOR: The two-storey farmhouse has a steeply pitched roof, red clay pantile covering, axial red brick chimneystack, and a single dormer to the rear (north) slope where it meets the lean-to. The south, east and north elevations are faced with red brick laid in monk bond (2 stretchers and a header), concealing earlier timber framing. The front (south) elevation has three window bays containing timber-framed side-hung casements; these appear to be of two phases of replacement, probably in the late C19 and C20. The ground floor casements are each of 6 lights and the first-floor casements of 4 lights. The main entrance is positioned between the central and right bay and features a shallow timber porch with a camber-arched opening over a red brick plinth, a pamment threshold, panelled outer door with glazed top panels, and half-glazed inner door. The west gable is rendered and features a central flat-arched door opening with a hoodmould, containing timber-framed glazed doors. The rear (north) elevation is rendered to the west half, and has a lean-to outshut to the east half, extended with a rear lean-to porch in the C20. The outshut has a pantile roof covering, red brick walls laid in monk bond, casement windows in the location of a blocked door opening, and a timber-boarded door to the rear extension (which blocks a former window opening). The east gable is faced in brick, and has a large ground floor window, to the left of which is a blocked segmental-arched window opening, and a blocked window opening to the centre of the first floor. The east and west gables have painted timber bargeboards.

INTERIOR: The plan form appears to be that of a four-bay open hall house, three cells on plan, with a cross passage between the central and east cells. In accordance with a cross passage, the front door on the south elevation has an opposing doorway on the north wall of the dining room. The partition wall separating the central cell and service wing (now the kitchen) has been removed, as is evidenced by a row of empty sockets on the downside of the beam which is chamfered on its west side only. The dining room occupies the central cell, and retains exposed timber joists (many of which appear to have been replaced and stop short of the chimneystack), a deeply chamfered beam, a substantial inglenook fireplace on the west wall with a chamfered bressummer, a pantry (possibly the former location of a stair) to the north side of the fireplace, exposed timber framing on the north wall which appears to incorporate a blocked window opening, and a four-centred timber archway (opposite the front door) leading to the outshut. The living room at the west end retains exposed ceiling joists (though they stop short of the chimneystack) and a chamfered bressummer to the fireplace. Both rooms retain a pamment floor, and the dining room and living room each have a late C18 or early C19 moulded architrave to their window and late C20 concrete hearth. Through the arched doorway on the north wall of the dining room, the outshut retains exposed timber framing on its south wall (the former south elevation of the house before the outshut was added), an exposed beam, and retains a variety of timber battened-and-ledged and panelled doors. The floor has a C20 quarry tile covering, and a straight stair ascends west along the south wall to the first-floor corridor.
At first floor level, a corridor was introduced along the north side, off which are three bedrooms to the east, south and west, adhering to the open hall plan form. Exposed timber framing survives along the north wall of the corridor; the wall plate is cut where the stair and dormer window were later introduced, and the door opening to the east bedroom cuts through the tie beam and downward brace. The east room retains a blocked window opening on its north wall with three timber diamond mullions in square-cut jambs, and exposed tie-beams on the east and west walls. The central and west rooms have an exposed tie-beam, diagonal braces and studs on their east and west walls respectively, and both rooms retain wide floorboards. In the west room, the north wall retains exposed timber framing, including a potential blocked window opening. Throughout the house, a high proportion of timber battened and ledged doors survive.
Access to the interior of the roof was limited in July 2024. It appears to retain a high proportion of its historic queen-post roof structure, including trusses, rafters and purlins, and historic timbers appear blackened. Later replacements and structural additions have been made where necessary.

Sources

Websites
Suffolk Heritage Explorer, Farmstead record BDG 079: Walnut Tree Farm (Glovergreen’s Farm’, accessed 30 July 2024 from https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/Monument/MSF38563

Other
Tithe apportionment (1838)
Tithe plan of Badingham (1839)

End of official list entry

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