WORCESTERSHIRE

ALVECHURCH, Seechem Manor Farm (SP 025 727)

(a)     Hall range

Felling dates: Early spring 1474, Autumn 1474, Winter 1474/5

Principal post 1474 (14C); Principal rafters (2/3) 1473 (29¼C),1474 (14½C); Tiebeam 1473 (18¼C).  Site Master 1365-1474 SEECHEM1 (t=7.5 MC16; 7.5 EASTMID; 7.0 KINGPYON)   

(b)     Cross-wing

Felling dates: Summer/autumn 1595

Principal post 1595(25½C); Principal rafter (0/1).  Site Master 1388-1595 SEECHEM2 (t=6.0 WOLVERTN; 5.6 TREES2; 5.4 NORTH)

Seechem Manor is a T-plan timber-framed house comprising a two-bay hall range and passage here dated to 1474, and a four (originally five) bay cross-wing dated to 1595.  The Hall trusses have cranked ties with raking struts, trenched purlins and no collars.  The principal rafters thicken in the centre where the purlins and struts are joined.  The Hall range evidently extended beyond the cross-passage, but the service end has since been lost. The cross-wing has thickened jowled principal posts and a more conventional queen-strut roof trusses with alternating trenched purlins. The walls are close-studded at ground floor level and in the gables, but the first floor walls are of square panels (Molyneux et al 1995). (Miles and Haddon-Reece 1995, VA 26, list 64 Part II)

ARELEY KINGS, Church House (SO 801 710)     

Felling date: Winter 1535/6

9/10 Floor beam 1494; Ties 1515(11), 1519(16); Posts (5/6) 1481, 1503(h/s), 1504(h/s), 1513(24), 1521(13); Principal rafter 1535(26C). Site Master 1365-1535 ARELEY (t = 13.0 SALOP95; 11.9 WALES; 10.7 GIERTZ).

The three-bay house is timber framed with painted brick and plaster infill, jettied on three sides. The ground floor consists of a single room, with a framed ceiling of chamfered beams and plain joists, on jowled storey posts, the south-west bay having two dragon beams. On the first floor the tiebeam and queen-strut roof is open, with two tiers of purlins and straight wind braces. An intermediate truss forms a narrow bay at the north-east end of the building: part of the tie and one strut having been removed. It has redundant holes showing that it used to have a partition. Dating commissioned by the Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeological Service. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2004, VA 35, list 152)


BAYTON, Plowstall Farmhouse (SO 695 732)

Felling date range: 1571–85

Stud 1542(h/s); Wallplate 1543(2); Brace 1560(11); Purlins 1558(13 + 11NM), 1570(24); Principal rafters 1542(h/s), 1561(18). Site Master 1410–1570 BAYTONPF (t = 13.6 SALOP95, 10.9 SINAI, 10.7 LBG_T10).

Plowstall Farmhouse has a three-bay hall and a two-bay two-storey cross-wing thought to be contemporaneous. It is listed as being of early seventeenth-century date, but proves to be somewhat earlier. The side-purlin roof contains generously proportioned timbers, with particularly large principal rafters. Dating commissioned by Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2009, VA 40, list 212)

BRANSFORD, Gilberts Farm (SO 801 519), North extension        

Felling date: Spring 1625

Purlins (2/3) 1624(34¼C, 42¼C); Corner posts (0/2). Site Master 1513-1624 GILBERTS (t = 7.1 UPWICH3; 5.9 HERGEST4; 5.8 FRANK165)

Gilberts Farm is a multi-phase building originally comprising an east-west cruck-built hall range, with a cross wing to the east, both c.1500. Subsequent alterations include flooring the hall and reconstructing the walls. In or shortly after 1625 a single-bay, two-storey range was added to the north. It is timber framed with large rectangular panels, set on a plinth of brick and sandstone blocks. The corner posts are jowled and have lower diagonal bracing to the southern corners. The northern roof truss has queen posts and upper diagonal bracing. The decorative ceiling beams in the east ground-floor bay of the main range are thought to be contemporary with the new addition. Dating commissioned and notes provided by Derek Hurst, Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeological Service. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2004, VA 35, list 152)


DODDERHILL, Astwood Court Farm (SO 942 656)

Cross-wings Felling date: 1599

Principal rafters 1589(23¼C), 1594(12), 1598(9C), 1598(23C), 1599(27C). Site Master 1464–1599 ASTWCTFM (t = 10.6 MEREHALL, 9.0 GIERTZ, 8.4 SOMRST04).

The core of Astwood Court Farm is ‘H’-shaped in plan, with a central hall range and cross-wings at either end. The timber-framed element of the building was thought to date to around 1600, although the building was much rebuilt in brick in the late eighteenth century. The timber framing is of close studding with long straight tension braces and with herringbone framing above the west wing tiebeam. The dated timbers come from both the cross-wings, but no timbers from the central hall range could be dated. Much of the timber used was found to be elm. Dating commissioned by the Dodderhill Parish Research Group. Notes by Stephen Price.(Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2009, VA 40, list 212)
 

DODDERHILL, Impney Farm (SO 906 767), Cellar ceiling joists   

Felling date/range: Summer 1613; 1467-1497

Joists 1612(20½C), 1609(18+3C NM), 1588(h/s), 1586(h/s); Reused joist 1456(h/s). Site Master 1427-1612 IMPNEY (t = 9.2 UPWICH3; 8.5 MASTERAL; 8.1 WALES97)

Archaeological salvage work and building recording was undertaken at Impney Farm at the request of Midland and General Developments Ltd. The main (visible) construction phase of the farmhouse was dated stylistically and by an inscription to 1757. Timbers within the cellar produced two felling periods, mostly c.1613, one of 1467-97, suggesting that they may derive from a seventeenth-century phase now hidden in the 1757 structure. Dating commissioned and notes provided by Derek Hurst, Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeological Service. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2004, VA 35, list 152)

HANBURY, Mere Hall (SO 951 618), West wing and hall range     

Felling dates: Spring 1607 to Winter 1610/11

Posts 1610(19C), 1606(32¼C); Studs (2/3) 1610(25C), 1581(H/S+19¼C NM); Principal rafters 1609(22C), 1608(50C), 1607(23¼C); Rail/girt 1610(18¼C). Site Master 1408-1610 MEREHALL (t = 12.6 LONDON; 12.1 UPWICH3; 10.9 ARELEY).

Mere Hall, Hanbury, is a large H-plan timber-framed house; the hall is of two stories with a gallery at attic level lit by a range of six small gables in a characteristic local style of which this house seems to be the prototype.  A study by R. A. Meeson and N. W. Alcock has concluded that all three sections of the building are coeval, although the east cross-wing has been substantially reconstructed (report at Worcestershire County Record Office). Dating commissioned by the owner. (Miles and Worthington 2005, VA 36, list 166)

HANBURY, Old Astwood Farm, Astwood Lane (SO 933 650)      

Felling date range (OxCal modelled): 1572-87 (unrefined 1568-98)

All timbers (4/8): Principal rafter 1555(H/S); Purlins 1554(3), 1562(H/S); Mid-rail 1583(25¼C). Site Master  1382-1583 ASTWOOD (t = 8.9 IMPNEY; 7.7 TYDDYN; 7.2 SINAI)

The house formerly comprised a hall with two two-bay crosswings, of which only the south one now remains, the hall and north crosswing having been demolished during recorded alterations to the property. The crosswing framing comprises three rows of close-set vertical studs from sill to wallplate, the upper row at the gable ends having decorative panels and short straight braces at the upper corners. The attics are jettied on a moulded bressumer and have collar and tiebeam trusses with two collars, struts and decorative panels. Dating commissioned by Dodderhill Parish Survey Research Group. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2006, VA 37, list 177)

INKBERROW, Thorn Farmhouse (SP 0102 5573)

Felling date range: 1535-1540

Cruck 1508(h/s+c.30½C NM); Brace (0/1); Collar (0/1). Site Master 1419-1508 tfhw1a (t = 5.5 MC19; 4.9 BURNHAM; 4.9 SHERNAVE)

Thorn Farmhouse consists of a cruck-framed open hall with a cross-wing at each end. Only the open cruck is of oak, the rest of the building being of elm. The cruck has chamfered arch braces and collar. The cruck has a type ‘C’ apex which has had a second saddle placed on it to raise the ridge. The purlins were originally tenoned into the side of the blades, but these have been altered to receive trenched purlins. From the primary phase of the building only the east cruck  blade was suitable for analysis. Dating commissioned by Mercian Archaeology on behalf of the owner. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2007, VA 38, list 189)

REDDITCH, Meadow Farm (SP 042 693)

(a)     Farmhouse, east wing ground floor         

Felling date range: 1439-69

(b)     Farmhouse, south and east wings, upper floors    

Felling date:  Summer 1603  

(c)     Granary  Felling date: Spring 1598

(a) All timbers (2/6). Stud 1420(h/s); Corner post 1435(h/s). (b) Corner post 1544, 1595(14); Principal rafters 1553+14NM, 1577(h/s+25NM); Tiebeam 1602(17½C). (c) All timbers (5/9). Corner posts 1571(23+27NM), 1583(h/s); Posts 1572(8), 1579(15+20NM); Tiebeam 1597(29¼C). Site Masters (a) 1354-1435 MFR2526 (t = 9.8 SALOP95; 9.3 COATSFM; 8.7 TYMAWR1); (b) 1442-1602 REDDTCH2 (t = 8.4 WHGHWHIT; 8.2 HANTS02; 8.2 SALOP95); (c) 1402-1597 REDGRAN (t = 9.4 NORTH; 9.2 KGWBSQ01; 9.1 WALES97)

This complex site has a long range running north-south with two wings and a separate granary at the northeast. The southern wing and east wing were thought to be the oldest parts of the complex, and indeed the lower part of the east wing contains mid-fifteenth century timbers. The upper floor of this and the southern end of the main range have close-studded walls and all appear to be built from a single group of timbers, with one being felled in 1603. Many of the timbers at the southern end of the long western range had abrupt growth changes and could not be dated, but those from the central section were found to be broadly contemporaneous with the 1603 date; the granary is slightly earlier. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2007, VA 38, list 189)

STOKE BLISS, The Hyde (SO 629 619)

(a)     Inserted hall floor

Felling date: Winter 1567/8

(b)     The ‘Barn’

Felling date: Winter 1564/5

(a) Floor beam (1/2) 1567(21C). (b) 5/6 Brace 1529(h/s), Studs 1557(19)+7NM(C), 1564(40C), Principal rafter 1558(14), Mid-rail 1561(17). Site Masters (a) 1419-1567 hsb08 (t = 7.6 CALLGHTN; 7.4 SALOP95; 7.2 HERE_FC); (b) 1413-1564 HYDE1 (t = 9.9 LBG-T!); 9.2 WALES; 8.4 SALOP95).

The farmhouse is of coursed dressed rubble with ashlar dressings, some brickwork, and timber framing. It is a base-cruck hall house with cross wings, the hall having three main bays and measuring 34½ft (10.6m) by 19½ft (6.0m) internally. The base crucks are massive and heavily moulded, and the wind braces are large and heavily cusped. The roof is believed to be of the fourteenth century, but could not be dated. The date of the floor insertion, based on a single timber, is significant in that it is close to the construction date of the other substantial building on this site.

The ‘Barn’ (or stable block) lies about 20m north-east of the house. It is timber framed with rendered infill on a rubble base, weather boarded at ground-floor level. The upper level is jettied on three sides, with shaped supporting brackets. The roof has three interrupted braced tiebeam trusses with V-struts above the collar. The principal rafters stop at the collar, with additional rafter pieces above. (Miles, Worthington, and Bridge 2004, VA 35, list 152)