Listed Building: ORCHARD FARMHOUSE (281683)

WETHERINGSETT-CUM-BROCKFORD BLACKSMITH'S GREEN TM 16 NW 3/98 Orchard Farmhouse -- II Former farmhouse. Late C14/early C15 core, the parlour end to right rebuilt in mid C16. Timber framed, part rendered, part of front wall rebuilt in C19 colourwashed brick; mid C20 brick casing to right gable end. Pantiled roof, originally half-hipped at both ends. 3 cells. 1½ storeys. Various mid C20 casement windows, one secondary diamond-mullioned window opened out at parlour end. One raking dormer. Mid C20 boarded door in cross-entry. Stack has rendered shaft. Interior. Core comprises former open hall and associated service end. Some exposed framing but much later alteration. Evidence for rear hall window which had square mullions. Remains of 2-centre arched service doorways. Sooted coupled-rafter roof, substantially intact. Early C17 inserted ceiling has plain joists set on edge. At this time the central tie- beam was cut and the ends supported on queen-posts, arched-braced to a flat collar. Stack also of early C17, against upper end of hall; good intact fireplace in parlour chamber. 2 mortices in studs in rear wall provide evidence for a previous timber chimney. 2-bay parlour beyond stack: heavy full-height studding with evidence for diamond-mullioned windows. Closely- spaced plain joists, trimmed for a ladder stair at the rear, proof that this block was added before the hall was floored. First floor access to the parlour chamber was improved in early C17 by removing the tie beam against the stack and supporting a higher tie beam on cruck-like timbers set immediately in front of the wallposts. Listing NGR: TM1431065789