Wealden hall house
Encyclopedia
The Wealden hall house is a type of vernacular medieval timber-framed
yeoman
's house traditional in the south east of England. It is most common in Kent
(hence "Wealden" for the once densely-forested Weald
) and the east of Sussex
but has also been built elsewhere. Kent has one of the highest concentrations of such medieval timber framed buildings in Europe.
The original plan usually had four bays
with the two central ones forming the main hall open to the roof with the hearth
in the middle and two doors to the outside at one end forming a cross passage. The open hearth was later moved towards the cross passage and became a fireplace with chimney, sometimes the chimney pile even blocking the cross passage, which had soon been screened off the main hall. Beyond the cross passage the outer bay at the "screens end" or "lower end" of the hall, usually contained two rooms commonly called buttery
and pantry
, while the rooms in the bay at the other end, the "upper end", were called parlour
s. The end bays each had an upper floor containing solar
s, which did not communicate with each other, as the hall rose to the rafters between them. The upper stories on both ends typically extended beyond the lower outer wall being jettied
on at least one side of the building. As the main hall had no upper floor the outer wall ran straight up without jettying, and thus the central bays appeared recessed.
The early buildings had thatched roofs and walls of wattle and daub
often whitewash
ed. Later buildings would have a brick
infilling between timbers, sometimes leading to a complete replacement of the outer walls of the basement with solid stone walls.
, the Anne of Cleves House
in Lewes, the Alfriston Clergy House
, the Plough at Stalisfield Green
, the Old Punch Bowl
and the Ancient Priors
at Crawley, the Pattyndenne Manor
in Kent and the Monks' Barn in Newport, Essex
.
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
yeoman
Yeoman
Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
's house traditional in the south east of England. It is most common in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(hence "Wealden" for the once densely-forested Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
) and the east of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
but has also been built elsewhere. Kent has one of the highest concentrations of such medieval timber framed buildings in Europe.
The original plan usually had four bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
with the two central ones forming the main hall open to the roof with the hearth
Hearth
In common historic and modern usage, a hearth is a brick- or stone-lined fireplace or oven often used for cooking and/or heating. For centuries, the hearth was considered an integral part of a home, often its central or most important feature...
in the middle and two doors to the outside at one end forming a cross passage. The open hearth was later moved towards the cross passage and became a fireplace with chimney, sometimes the chimney pile even blocking the cross passage, which had soon been screened off the main hall. Beyond the cross passage the outer bay at the "screens end" or "lower end" of the hall, usually contained two rooms commonly called buttery
Buttery
Buttery may refer to:* Buttery , a savoury Scottish bread roll* Buttery , a storeroom for liquor*Buttery A service room in a large medieval household.* Buttery, a cafe that sells food and drinksPeople named Buttery:...
and pantry
Pantry
A pantry is a room where food, provisions or dishes are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. The derivation of the word is from the same source as the Old French term paneterie; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis for bread.In a late medieval hall, there were...
, while the rooms in the bay at the other end, the "upper end", were called parlour
Parlour
Parlour , from the French word parloir, from parler , denotes an "audience chamber". In parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, parlours are common names for certain types of food service houses, restaurants or special service areas, such as tattoo parlors...
s. The end bays each had an upper floor containing solar
Solar (room)
The solar was a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles, generally situated on an upper storey, designed as the family's private living and sleeping quarters...
s, which did not communicate with each other, as the hall rose to the rafters between them. The upper stories on both ends typically extended beyond the lower outer wall being jettied
Jettying
Jettying is a building technique used in medieval timber frame buildings in which an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below. This has the advantage of increasing the available space in the building without obstructing the street...
on at least one side of the building. As the main hall had no upper floor the outer wall ran straight up without jettying, and thus the central bays appeared recessed.
The early buildings had thatched roofs and walls of wattle and daub
Wattle and daub
Wattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw...
often whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
ed. Later buildings would have a brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
infilling between timbers, sometimes leading to a complete replacement of the outer walls of the basement with solid stone walls.
Examples
Examples are the "Bayleaf farmhouse" from Chiddingstone, relocated in 1968-69 to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum. the Yeoman's House in BignorBignor
Bignor is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of the English county of West Sussex, about six miles north of Arundel....
, the Anne of Cleves House
Anne of Cleves House
Anne of Cleves House is a 15th century timber-framed Wealden hall house on Southover High Street in Lewes, East Sussex, England. It formed part of Queen Anne's annulment settlement from King Henry VIII in 1541, although she never visited the property...
in Lewes, the Alfriston Clergy House
Alfriston Clergy House
Alfriston Clergy House in Alfriston, Polegate, East Sussex, England, was the first property to be acquired by the National Trust. It was purchased in 1896 for £10. The house lies adjacent to the Church of St. Andrew.-History:...
, the Plough at Stalisfield Green
Stalisfield Green
Stalisfield Green is a village in the borough of Swale in Kent, England, located on a secondary road about 1.5 miles north of Charing....
, the Old Punch Bowl
Old Punch Bowl
The Old Punch Bowl is a medieval timber-framed hall-house on the High Street in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. Built in the early 15th century, it was used as a farmhouse by about 1600, passing through various owners and sometimes being used for other purposes...
and the Ancient Priors
Ancient Priors
The Ancient Priors is a medieval timber-framed hall-house on the High Street in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. It was built in approximately 1450, partly replacing an older structure—although part of this survives behind the present street frontage...
at Crawley, the Pattyndenne Manor
Pattyndenne Manor
Pattyndenne Manor is a manor house located near to the village of Goudhurst, Kent. This timber framed house was built by the Pattyndenn family around 1480, it was a home and a place to hold the Manor court proceedings. In the 16th century it was sold to Sir Maurice Berkeley, son of Lord Berkeley...
in Kent and the Monks' Barn in Newport, Essex
Newport, Essex
Newport is a large village in Essex near Saffron Walden, in which Newport Free Grammar School is located. The village has a population of just over 2,000....
.