Farmstead record WTP 011 - Farmstead: Rookery Farm

Grade II listed 15th C farmhouse, perhaps previously a guildhall: The hall with its large fireplace contains opposing-jowled-storey posts with early perpendicular moulded corbels. It is an unusual building, and its original function remains unclear other than its possible use as a guildhall.

Mid to late 15th C, stack inserted late 16th C or early 17th C, altered late 18th C and early 19th C. Timber frame, plastered. Steeply pitched plaintiled roof. 5 large storeyed bays, originally jettied to right end. 2 storeys and attic. Ground floor: 18th C entrance slightly to left of centre, likely to be an original entrance position, a 6-panelled door with 4 fielded panels, semi-circular fanlight, fluted pilasters, oval medallions on dosserets to dentilled open pediment; into right and later service bay a second entrance, a part glazed 6-panelled door, 19th C architrave, shaped brackets to hood, an architraved glazing bar sash to right, two 20th C glazing bar sashes to left. First floor 3 architraved glazing bar sashes, boxed eaves. Axial ridge stack inserted in central bay. Left end French windows, first floor 6 pane casement, attic 3-light part opening metal frame casement. To rear right a 20th C lean-to porch to original entrance and a 3-light part opening metal frame casement, to rear left an inserted 19th C stack in later parlour, a ground floor canted bay window with transomed glazing bar casements, tiled head, first floor part opening cross casement. Interior: original entrance to rear into right bay near corner, a chamfered 2 centred arched doorway of 2 pieces of timber. Jettied right end wall, now underbuilt, had large brackets to alternate broad joists, jowled corner post, shutter grooves for large windows on right end and to front right. A stop chamfered cross axial binding beam between 2 right bays rests on stop chamfered jowled storey posts with early Perpendicular moulded corbels to 4 centred arched braces, broach stopped binding beam towards centre with inserted stack had similar braces. Framing concealed in 2 left bays. Late 18th C staircase in front of stack with a turned newel post, slat balusters, moulded handrail. First floor framing largely concealed, large chamfered jowled posts with mortices for large arched braces, 2 central tie beams of smaller scantling retain mortices for crown posts and appear to have been in closed trusses with partitions below, chamfered cross axial binding beams and reused roll moulded joists inserted to form attic in 17th C. In attic a 17th C internal window, ovolo mullioned 3 lights with lattice leaded panes. Roof has original numbered rafters and low collars without smoke blackening, right gable end has vestigial scissor bracing, side purlins inserted (S1)

Rockery farm barn: timber-framed and weatherboarded with five bays. Timbers re-used from earlier dismantled buildings. The plinth made up of hand made red brick, typical of late 18th/ early 19th C manufacture. Steeply pitched roof suggests it may have originally been designed for thatch or tile., but is now covered in corrugated iron (S2).

Rookery Farm, Westhorpe. 18th century farmstead and 15th century farmhouse with converted building. Dispersed cluster plan formed by working agricultural buildings. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. Partial loss (less than 50%) of the traditional farm buildings. Located within a village (S2-8).

Recorded as part of the Farmsteads in the Suffolk Countryside Project. This is a purely desk-based study and no site visits were undertaken. These records are not intended to be a definitive assessment of these buildings. Dating reflects their presence at a point in time on historic maps and there is potential for earlier origins to buildings and farmsteads. This project highlights a potential need for a more in depth field study of farmstead to gather more specific age data.