Site of 16th century timber-framed house, Claret Hall (EHER 7054)

Mid 16th century two-storey timber-framed and plastered house with tiled roof, with later extensions. It burned down in the 1920s and the present house was constructed soon after.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Claret Hall [NAT]. <1> Claret Hall, 1 1/2 miles north-east of the church, is of two storeys with a cellar; the walls are timber framed and plastered, and the roofs are tiled. It was built about the middle of the 16th century, on an L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the north and east. There is a modern wing on the north-east making the plan half-H-shaped. The original central chimney-stack has a moulded capping, a sunk panel on the west face and four octagonal shafts with moulded bases and modern tops. Inside the building, on the ground floor, some of the rooms have exposed ceiling-beams. Condition - Good. <2> 2006. Watching brief. The original 16th century house was destroyed by fire in the 1920s, and the present house built soon after. The house is situated inside the remains of a moated enclosure (see EHER 7053) of probable medieval origin. In 2006 monitoring of groundworks prior to the construction of a garden house on the north side of the existing dwelling revealed four distinct phases of activity associated with the original 16th century building. Phase 1 consisted of mid to late 16th century walls related to the cellar and a compacted clay layer, possibly a yard. Phase 2 comprised activity associated with the yard area and was represented by middens. Phase 3 revealed a possible extension to the Hall (between 1839 and 1876). Phase 4 was associated with the demolition of the Hall in the 1920s. <3>