Listed Building: STREET HOUSE (494809)

BOXTED 922/0/10071 STREET HOUSE 15-SEP-06 II Farmhouse, circa 1600 with later additions. The house is of timber box-frame construction: the close studded frame sits on a low brick plinth and is concealed externally with plaster, except for the front of the house where it is cased in C19 brick. There are four units, two to either side of a massive brick chimney stack. The entrance is to the front of the stack, giving a lobby entry plan. A second lateral brick chimney stack heats the rooms at the south-east end of the building. The house is of one and a half storeys under a plain tiled pitched roof, originally thatched. The roof was not fully inspected but appears to be of simple collar rafter construction. To the rear of the house, the pitched roof was converted to a catslide roof when the outshut or aisle was added, probably in the C18. The outshut extends along most of the rear of the building, excluding the northernmost bay. The front of the house faces the lane and comprises a centrally placed panelled door inline with the chimney stack behind, with two windows to either side, all three light casements with multiple leaded panes. Above them is a hound's tooth eaves course. The upper floor has two dormer windows with two-light casements. All windows are C19 or C20. INTERIOR: Inside much of the timber box-frame is exposed, including wall-plates, corner posts, tension braces and studs. The massive centrally placed brick stack provided flues for back-to-back inglenooks, the one in the kitchen being wider to contain a bake oven, though the back of the oven has been removed. The inglenook in the former parlour has a substantial bressumer with runout and bar chamfer stops. The fireplace itself is a relatively recent insertion. The ceiling has bridging beams with step and runout chamfer stops. These continue through to the room beyond, which retains its original fireplace. To the rear is the outshut which contains the rear hall, staircase and a store, formerly used as a cellar, with re-used C17 panelling on one wall. A narrow door with similar panelling gives access to the main parlour from the outshut and appears to have been inserted into the original rear wall of the house. Where enclosed by the outshut, the timber-framing of this former exterior wall is exposed. At ground-floor level, close studding and tension bracing is visible and overlooking the staircase is a four light timber mullioned window with diamond stanchions. This ceased to function as a window when the outshut was built against the rear wall of the house. HISTORY: Street House was originally the farmhouse to Street Farm until the mid-C19 when it was converted into the Kings Head public house. It continued in this use until the mid-C20 before being converted back into a house. It is marked as part of Street Farm on the 1843-1894 OS map, which appears to show the house divided into two, with the smaller left hand block perhaps functioning as a separate cottage. SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: Street House fulfils the criteria for listing as a relatively intact example of a lobby entry farmhouse of c.1600, possibly earlier. It is suggested that the house was once the farmhouse of Street Farm before being convereted to a public house in the mid C19. Although concealed by brick and plaster, much of the original timber box-frame is exposed inside the house.