Listed Building: CHURCH FARMHOUSE (279464)

FINNINGHAM GISLINGHAM ROAD (EAST TM 0669 SIDE) 7/8 Church Farm House 29.7.55 GV II* House. Late C15; floor and stack inserted and turned around with service end largely rebuilt as parlour in early C17, altered C19 and C20. Timber frame, part exposed, plastered. Machine tiled roofs. Originally an open hall of 2 unequal bays with a cross passage bay and storeyed lower bay; upper 3 bay crosswing to left to form an L on plan. Now all 2 storeys with attic in cross wing. Main range remodelled as 5 bays with stack inserted in cross passage, exposed close studding with mid-rail, partially restored. A lobby entrance to right of centre in position of original cross passage between hall and later parlour, a boarded door in a C19 open timber gabled porch, to left a part opening 4-light leaded casement, to right a transomed part opening 3-light metal frame leaded casement. First floor: over hall a restored 4-light roll and hollow mullioned window and a 3-light leaded casement, small lights over porch and a restored 3-light ovolo mullioned window to right,re-used mid-rail to right is moulded, tenons and mortices for head of an oriel window in posts and chamfered wallplate. Axial ridge stack has 3 rebuilt conjoined hexagonal shafts. Right gable end ground floor part opening 3 x 3 pane metal frame casement, a bracket to an exposed plate. To rear a boarded lobby entry door, restored 3 and 4-light ovolo mullioned windows to parlour. Cross wing gable front has 2-light casements, a bracket to an exposed plate, secondary purlins, slightly taller ridge. Left return has a late C16 external stack on front or kitchen bay, English bond brick tapering to rebuilt cap, ground floor C20 brick casing with a 6-light window to dairy, first floor lattice leaded light and a restored 3-light diamond mullioned window. To rear a moulded bracket to an exposed plate, a catslide roof over a lean-to addition behind hall upper bay. Interior: hall has a semi-octagonal shaft with a brattished roll moulded bell cap as a corbel to open truss arched brace, removed opposite; original richly moulded and brattished spere beam, inserted bar stop chamfered axial binding beam, repositioned fireplace bressumer. Parlour stop chamfered cross axial binding beam on jowled storey posts, stuccoed chamfered 4 centred arched fireplace, repositioned C17 panelling, newel stair behind stack. First floor: traces of original 6-light cavetto mullioned hall window, chamfered arched braces to cambered tie beam to open truss. Parlour chamber retains C15 rebated corner posts, large straight arched braces in end wall, inserted ovolo moulded tie beams, 4 centred arched fireplace. Crown post roof over hall, open truss octagonal post, Perpendicular moulded cap and base, arched bracing to collar purlin cut for stack, smoke blackened rafters and upper end. Parlour roof has double butt purlins with upper arched windbraces, cambered collars also clasp upper purlins. Cross wing: ground floor small arched braces to broach stopped cross axial binding beams, haunched soffit tenoned joists, stairs in rear bay. 2 bay solar towards front with chamfered arched braces to open truss cambered tie beam, crown post roof without blackening, tall and slender octagonal post, multiple keel moulded cap and base, 4 way arched bracing, closed truss to rear bay with arched bracing to collar purlin. Listing NGR: TM0683869380