Listed Building: White Hall (DSF18237)

Timber framed house of around 1600, encased in brick in the mid-C19, with early C20 and C21 extensions. MATERIALS: timber frame encased in local gault brick laid in Flemish bond, painted white, and a roof covering of red clay tiles re-laid in the early C21 reusing some older tiles. The early C20 north-east wing is covered in pebbledash, painted white. PLAN: L-shaped plan consisting of a main range dating to c1600 aligned east-west with a rear lean-to, an early C20 extension forming the short north-west wing and an early C21 extension to the east. EXTERIOR: the two-storey house has a brick plinth and a steeply pitched roof, hipped at the west end, with gault brick chimney stacks passing through the ridge of the main range (one is truncated) and a tall red brick stack in the east wall of the north-east wing. The principal south-facing elevation is three irregular window bays wide with a central gabled open porch, added in 1950, which has a semicircular opening of tiles laid on edge supported by brick pillars. The four-panel door, of recent date, is flanked by four-light timber casements, also of recent date. The window in the first bay along with the first-floor windows in all three bays are mid-C19 two-over-two pane horned sashes with carved stone lintels resting on corbels. The first-floor windows are gabled dormers. Adjoining the east gable end is a lower one-and-a-half storey projection, followed by a single-storey early C21 brick extension, both with steeply pitched roofs and timber casement windows of recent date. The rear (north) elevation has, from the left, a small brick boiler house, built in the early C20, at the north-east corner. This is followed by the one-and-a-half storey projection under a catslide roof which continues as a single-pitch roof over a long lean-to lit by small timber casements. The first floor above the lean-to is lit by small horizontal timber casements. There is a box-like projection in the angle of the two wings which was present in the C19 and may have originated as a stair turret. The wide gabled north-west wing has a prominent moulded timber band at ground-floor lintel level and is lit by four two-light timber casements with square leaded lights, and above by three-light casements in the same style. The recessed plank and batten door is situated in the short gabled cross-wing which is lit on the west side by a three-light casement and a two-light casement above. Following this, the two recessed bays of the west elevation are lit by two two-light casements on each floor. INTERIOR: the timber frame is partially exposed and it is likely that more exists beneath later plaster. It is possible to identify five bays in the timber structure: the first and second bays forming single-bay rooms, the third and fourth forming a two-bay ‘hall’, and the narrow fifth bay that formerly housed the chimney. On the ground floor a substantial chamfered bridging beam runs the length of the first four bays, which also retain axial joists. These are supported by principal posts in the first, fourth and fifth bay divisions with those in the first bay division strengthened by knee braces (added at a later date). Those in the third bay division are jowled. The south-west corner post is exposed, as is the first-floor sill beam in the first, third and fourth bays. In the fourth bay, the original timbers and intact wattle-and-daub on the northern wall were exposed during building works. The studs are weathered, having been exposed initially, and in places the daub retains a thin layer of lime plaster that is also original. In the fifth bay, the wall frame between the south room and the lean-to retains the pegged sill of a blocked window on the left. The sill has been truncated by the later door jamb and the window’s original length is unclear. This bay is smoke-stained in the roof and the rafters are cut for a large chimney that must have contained back-to-back fireplaces. The post between the present doors marks the corner of the surviving two-storey early C17 structure. On the first floor the wall plate is exposed along the east side, the south side except for in the first bay, and in the fourth and fifth bays on the north side. There are at least two exposed original edge-halved and bridled scarf joints with two diagonal pegs to each tenon. This joint is typical of the C16 but was quickly superseded after c1600. The tie beams in the most of the bay divisions are supported by principal posts, mostly jowled. The jowls in the third bay division are carved with a double ovolo moulding. These first appeared in the 1580s and 1590s but became the norm during the first half of the C17. It is, however, unusual to find first-floor chambers with higher quality decoration than their counterparts on the ground floor. There is a chamfered bridging beam in the second bay, and the corner posts in the north-east and south-east corners survive. In the northern wall of the third bay, the horizontal projection just below the rafters is the original moulded sill of a window. The clasped-purlin roof structure points to an origin around 1600 and is unusual in having lacked wind-braces from the outset. It is almost completely intact apart from its westernmost bay which was largely rebuilt in softwood when the adjoining structure was demolished in the 1960s or 1970s. The roof-plates contain edge-halved and bridled scarf joints with double-pegged tenons in the C16 manner that was quickly superseded by face-halved joints at the beginning of the C17. An original partition of studwork and wattle-and-daub survives between the second and third bays. Although there is no evidence to suggest the attic rooms have ever been occupied (ie. there is no plaster or paint on the timbers), the narrow access to the right is an original feature as its jambs lack notches to secure wattle-and-daub. The studs are lapped and nailed to the collar, as often found in roof spaces even in the C16 century, and bear a number of ‘taper’ burns that are likely to be apotropaic rather than practical in nature. The early C20 north-west extension consists of an entrance hall and large reception room in a sympathetic vernacular style with good quality joinery. The hall has a floor of geometric tiles, joists, and an eight-panel door with moulded and chamfered panels which provide access to the reception room. This is also accessed from the older part of the house through a wide timber framed opening with a chamfered beam and posts with knee braces. The room has a bridging beam, joists, and a substantial chamfered axial joist supported by principal posts carved with a torus moulding. These have been re-used from another late C16 century house (possibly salvaged from White hall) and painted with imitation grain. There is a picture rail and floorboards, and the window frames and sills are of walnut with ornate ironmongery. The large chimneypiece has a four-centred arch stone opening with carved spandrels and a wooden surround embellished with fluted square pilasters supporting an entablature, a six-panel frieze and a mantelshelf resting on carved brackets. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: a small octagonal garden building to the north of the house, shown on the 1886 OS map, is constructed of gault brick interspersed with red brick. It has a red clay tile roof covering with stone coping along the verges. In one of the faces is a pointed arch door of vertical wooden planks with strap hinges. Whilst the garden walls and remains of the greenhouse do not survive with the requisite degree of survival to be included in the listing, they nevertheless provide evidence of the historic layout of the gardens at White Hall