Sheldrakes (EHER 37254)

15th century hall house.

Small hall house of the 15th century, altered in the 16th and 17th century, and extended in 20th century. It is timber-framed, plastered, and the roof is thatched. The house has four bays originally comprising storeyed service bay at the north-west, and a two-bay open hall storeyed parlour/solar bay at the south-east. There is an axial chimney stack inserted at the north-west end of the hall with a floor inserted, of the late 16th century. A south-west dormer was inserted in the early 17th century. On the ground floor, there are 20th century casement windows, 20th century gabled brick and tiled porch, one 17th century three-light window with wrought-iron casement, and another in the gabled dormer. The roof is half-hipped at both ends. The timber-frame is exposed internally. The house has jowled storey posts, curved tension bracing trenched outside studs, and interrupted tiebeam construction at both ends with mortices for diamond mullions. The transom of the original unglazed hall window is present in the north-east wall, with mortices for diamond mullions in it and the wallplate above. The roof is of crownpost construction, but the central tiebeam, crownpost and all the arch braces to the collar-purlin are missing. There are 16th century floorboards above the hall and stop-chamfered ceiling beams. The house has four 17th century wrought iron casement windows with leaded glass, some of it early. <1> See: <2>