Petches Farmhouse (EHER 1497)

Late 13th/early 14th and late 15th century timber framed house.

House is two-storied, timber-framed and plastered, probably early 16th century with later additions. Original chimneystack. Roof under east gable has a central purlin and king-post under two-way struts. Inside, panelling from around 1600. <1> May 1953. Grade II listed. House. Built in around 1300 and late 15th century, altered in 20th century. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. A manor house of complex and unusual plan comprising: (1) four-bay two-storey range, built in around 1300, aligned NE-SW, with early 17th century internal stack near the middle; (2) parallel staircase hall to SE, 17th century and later; (3) parallel three-bay two-storey wing to SE, late 15th century, with jetty to SN, and early 17th century external stack at side; (4) two-bay open hall, late 15th century, to SE of SW end. Single-storey lean-to extensions to SE and in E angle. The house now faces NE, but the jetty suggests that originally it faced SW. It is two storeys, and hall of one storey with attics. NE elevation, 3 20th century casements on ground floor, five on first floor, of which one is in a gabled dormer. 20th century door. Four twisted octagonal shafts on main stack, restored. The interior of the NW range has unjowled posts, bridging beams with chamfered fillets, splayed and undersquinted scarfs in one wallplate and the collar-purlin, and crownpost roof with braces of wide section up to the collar-purlin and down to the tiebeams, incomplete. This is a strange building, and it has been suggested that originally it formed a first-floor hall. The three-bay range, of similar length, has chamfered beams, heavy joists of wide section jointed to them with unrefined soffit tenons, and a crownpost roof with thin axial braces only, some missing. The hall has a side-purlin roof with conspicuous arched wind-bracing; the central tiebeam and braces to it have been removed. There are 2 early ledged 3-plank doors, one on its original strap- hinges, and one upper room is lined with early 17th century oak panelling. RCHM 8. <2> See photos <3>. NRHE data transfer: Petches (NR). <4> May 1975. Field survey. Petches is externally modernised and is not outstanding. Published survey (25") revised. <5> See also <6>.