Old Mill Public House (EHER 37476)

Mid 17th century timber-framed house.

2004. Building survey. Following the closure of the public house during the 1990s the Old Mill had for many years remained empty and the subject of vandalism and latterly theft, with the removal of the plain tiles from the rear catslide roof. After a site visit in 2004 the building was placed on the Historic Buildings at Risk Register and subsequently the site was sold for residential redevelopment involving the refurbishment of the Old Mill and the construction of new housing. A rapid low level survey of the Old Mill Public House was undertaken during the refurbishment works associated with the buildings conversion back into a residential property. At the time of the survey all wall coverings, plasters renders and wall infill had been removed, leaving the entire historic timber frame fully exposed. The building was built as a two storey two cell three bay lobby entry house with a narrow central chimney bay, half hipped roof and a central chimney stack. The latter was removed and replaced by two external stacks added, presumably to more conveniently heat the two bars on the ground floor, to each of the end walls. Built using normal assembly the oak timber frame is primary braced with downward corner bracing in the end bays of the upper register. Alterations and current works have obscured the extent and form of the studding in the lower register, but this appeared to have been built without diagonal bracing. Reused timber was more apparent in the studs of the lower register. The principal storey posts all had gradually swelling jowled heads apart from one example between the central narrow bay and eastern bay along the rear elevation. As the post was correctly pegged into the frame and did not appear to be a later addition, the jowl may have been omitted so as not to restrict entry into the upper chamber from the staircase which were originally located to the rear of the central (removed) stack. The first floor joists were laid directly onto the midrail/girding beam of the wall frames and tenoned into the axial bridging joists, original held by the central stack and finished with lambs tongue chamfer stops. The wall plate to the front (south) was in two lengths with a face halved and bladed scarf joint, while the rear plate was a single continuous timber. The tie beams are slightly cambered and those of the central bay showed distinct rough adze marks. The A frame roof was built in oak with half hips to the east and west ends, clasped side purlins and collars pegged at bay intervals. Later (18th to 19th century) nailed on intermediate collars were added to provide additional strength to the roof. The original common rafters remained but due to sagging had ben overlain by later rafters to straightened the roof pitch. Infill rafters at the apex over the central bay show how the roof was repaired after the removal of the central stack. On the first floor a light scantling (19th century) studwork had been nailed into the cross-frames of the central bay and axial joists inserted, over eaves level, to support the ceilings in both first floor both chambers. A doorway with a 19th century architrave cut through a deep arch brace extant below tie beam of the western chamber and central bay. No other arch braces or empty mortices for an arch brace were present in the posts or ties of the surviving frame. Whether the arch brace was an original feature or was reused form an earlier building was not clear. The existing windows of the first floor were probably replacements/enlargements of the originals, however an original diamond mullioned window, partially obscured by the later chimney stack remained in the end wall of the western chamber. The five light window lay central to the end wall and was built with four diamond mullions two of which survived in situ. The windows were probably glazed from the outset as the mullions were widely spaced to allow for a glazing bar, as seen by a small hole bored into the lintel and sill between each mullion. A corresponding window in the eastern chamber was not evident, although this are had been more disturbed by the addition of the chimney. Quite sinuous carpentry marks using Roman characters were prevalent along the outer faces of the wall frames and the post, tie beam, principal rafter junction. Along with the removal of the central stack, probably during the 19th century when the end wall stacks were built, the original staircase was also removed to be replaced by a straight flight. All this work, including the renovation of the upper chambers occurred during the 19th century and is possibly associated directly with the buildings use as a public house. The plan form and carpentry of the Old Mill public house do not contradict the suggested mid 17th century construction date for the building. Lobby entry plan, glazed mullioned windows and the type of scarf joint (used from 1575 onwards) strongly point towards a post-medieval building of a 17th century date, significantly altered during the late C18-C19 to provide a more functional, ergonomic public building <1>