Description

WETHERDEN BASE GREEN
TM 06 SW

4/208 Rookyard Farmhouse
-

-- II*

Farmhouse, late C15 or early C16 with remodelling of late C16. Probably a 3-
cell open hall house, with two cross-wings. The hall range one storey and
attics; cross-wings 2 storeys. Timber-framed and plastered; both cross-wings
are end-jettied at the front on brackets. Plaintiled roofs; an axial chimney,
the shaft rebuilt in late C18 or C19 red brick. A chimney to rear of right
hand wing has a plastered sawtooth shaft of c.1600. The hall has a gabled
plaintiled dormer with mid C20 casements. Various C19 and C20 casements; one
C18 1st floor window in left wing. 4-panelled C19 entrance door, the upper
panels glazed. The right hand cross-wing is probably of c.1500: a 2-bay
parlour with solar above. At the open truss is a cambered tie beam with
massive hollow-chamfered archbraces rising from polygonal shafts. Plain but
heavy crownpost roof. The central crownpost of rectangular section has 2-way
braces and a heavy collar beneath the collar-purlin, tying a pair of principal
rafters - an unusual detail in Suffolk. To rear of this wing is a lower block
added in late C16 with clasped purlin roof. The internal chimney here of
c.1600 has part of a newel staircase. The hall has a 1st floor with a massive
early C16 roll-moulded bridging beam and moulded joists; possibly an original
feature, (c.p. New Bells Farmhouse, Haughley, Item 4/91). There was once a
large fireplace backing against a cross-entry at the left hand end. Side
purlin roof of c.1600. A lower 2-bay range to rear of the left hand wing is
original, with similar plain crownpost roof (the front section of this wing
was rebuilt in late C16: good windbraced clasped-purlin roof, unchamfered
floor joists, a lintelled open fireplace and a blocked ovolo-mullioned
window).

Listing NGR: TM0151863380

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535555

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

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)