Description

TL 42 SW & LITTLE HADHAM CHAPEL LANE
TL 4322 (north side)
Hadham Ford

1/2 & 7/2 Lodge Farmhouse 140 metres
from road
-

- II*

House. C15 or earlier, reduced, altered in mid C19, extended
c.1925. T-shaped. Former farmhouse facing E. 2 storeys, timber
framed and plastered, with steep old red tiled gabled roof.
External gable chimney on S; lateral chimney on rear wall at
junction with rear wing; internal gable chimney at N. Roughcast
E front in two parts both of 3 windows with half-glazed door
under central window of each group. C19 flush sashes with 2/2
panes. Gabled, tiled hood to S door, the N part of E front
represents an extension c.1925 on the site of part of a medieval
range then long demolished. The S part and rear wing are
medieval and represent 4 structural bays of a lofty open hall
house with a narrow central bay for the cross passage. The 2
bays at the S end have a cellar and a fine collar-purlin roof
with tall octagonal crown post with moulded cap and base. The
timbers are massive, well-finished and chamfered, with heavy
club-shaped jowls to bay posts. The roof here is not soot-
blackened and has a closed partition on the N which, with a
similar partition a little further to the N, defines the cross
passage. The N face of the second partition looked into the hall
and it and the roof are heavily sooted. The close-studded
partition contains a central post braced down to the tie beam and
carrying the collar purlin. The splendid 3 arc, segmental-arched
braced tie beam of the central truss of the hall survives on the
1st floor, and has massive double chamfered members. The
octagonal crown post over is similar to that over the upper room
at the S end, and is braced to the collar purlin only. This has
a through-splayed and tabled scarf joint (the trait-de-Jupiter)
over the S wing, supported by the brace from the crown post. The
rear wing is of heavy timbers but less well-finished and adjoined
the W side of the medieval hall just N of the W door of the cross
passage. The N end of the medieval house was demolished as far
as the N face of the central truss of the hall, and was only
extended to the N again c.1925. The hall roof shows evidence of
being ceiled under the collars, and the infill panels of the
partition being whitened, leaving the soot blackened timbers
exposed between for contrast. This is probably the house or
lodge mentioned in the later C16 as being in the park attached to
the Bishop of Ely's manor of Little Hadham (VCH (1914) 54).

Listing NGR: TL4300022162

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17554227

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper