Building record WSF 058 - The Limes, Wattisfield

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Summary

The 'barn' at The Limes is a timber-framed and rendered outbuilding of the late-15th or 16th century, represents a rare and historically important detached kitchen.

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 0101 7412 (19m by 14m)
Map sheet TM07SW
Civil Parish WATTISFIELD, MID SUFFOLK, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

The 'barn' at The Limes is a timber-framed and rendered outbuilding of the late-15th or 16th century which lies in close proximity to the service gable of an ostensibly contemporary domestic house and almost certainly represents a rare and historically important detached kitchen. The house is parallel with the main street in the centre of the medieval settlement, just 25 m south of St Margaret's church, but the outbuilding is aligned at right-angles. Its original structure contained three unequal bays and extended to 10.5 m in length by 5 m in overall width (34.5 ft by 16.25 ft), and its external walls rose to 3.5 m at the roof-plates (11.5 ft). Precise analysis is hampered by the concealment of key evidence behind 20th century render, but the building appears to have contained a two-bay open hall to the rear (east) with a cross-passage adjoining an undivided service bay to the west. The loft of the service bay extended over the central bay to create a 'boot-shaped' hall heated by an open hearth - as indicated by heavy sooting to the timbers of the eastern bay. Any evidence of the hall window is hidden, but it did not rise to the roof-plates in the usual manner (S1).

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Unpublished document: Alston, L.. 2009. Historic Building Record: The Limes, Wattisfield, Suffolk.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Apr 19 2011 8:17AM

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