Building record MDN 025 - Serens Hall

A small 16th-17th timber-framed and plastered building with a tiled roof. It is typical lowland vernacular pattern, with two rooms either side of an inglenook fireplace on the ground floor, and two further rooms above, the southernmost rooms are sub divided into two by a later partition. The ground plan for the fireplace is eccentric to the main access, and located effectively adjacent to the eastern wall of the cottage, and the lobby entrance incorporates the original staircase which winds against the fireplace in traditional vernacular form. The timber framing is partly exposed on the ground floor, with a sole plate, and stud and corner posts, haunched at first floor level. The pattern of pegging on the south gable indicates the presence of a central mullioned window, now replaced by a 20th century window. These is no corresponding pegging in the north gable. It is possible that the northern range has been rebuilt at some stage, witnessed by the lack of symmetry, but there is no other evidence to suggest salvaged material being incorporated in the present arrangement.

Downstand beams spanning north east west with supplementary beams north south support the floor layered above. Floor joist sizes are 5½” x 4” laid flat, suggesting a pre 17th century date, and these bear onto the mid plate which is framed within the wall frames indicating that the construction is all of a similar date. Over the southernmost room, a similar arrangement, with floor joists varying more considerably, average of about 5” x 4½” laid flat. The floor structure is embedded within the wall structure on the west side, but secured by or supplemented by a face mounted plate on the east wall over the sitting room. The south west corner post is salvaged and reused, evidence by mortices, and that of the south wall is obscured by later finishes. The inglenook fireplace serving the southern sitting room has conventional chimney breasts in Tudor dimensioned brickwork, with open recesses at the rear which could convincingly be for the storage of salt etc, although one or two of these have been altered since original construction. The fireplace in the northern drawing room has a chamfered back,suggesting late Tudor period, with the left hand chimney breast re-bricked in 2¼” x 9” x5” soft red brick. The breast and the beam to this chimney is elm, and oak to the first.

On the first floor, original elm boards exist travelling under the later partitions, as far as the leading edge of the chimney. These appear to be original, rather than salvaged (there is remarkably little evidence of cutting) suggesting that this floor is “as built”. The
landing at the top of the stairs has wide pine boards, suggesting 18th century work, and the door into the first bedroom in the south west corner is of similar 18th century date, possibly reused from a partition located at the top of the stairs, the scar for which is detectable in the west wall.

A northern bedroom has 20th century narrow pine boards, the chimney has been blocked, and the plate has been cut in the east wall in order to facilitate access into the 20th century range.

It appears that there was an outshot to the south east, now containing the kitchen, containing the gable chimney flue which now provides the flue for the Aga. The extension southwards of the kitchen is 19th century, and the brickwork above the kitchen forming the bedroom at this level is of late 20th century style, with conventionally sized bricks bedded in cement mortar.

The side lobby entrance has been converted into a entrance lobby entrance by the edition of a 19th century brick built lobby in the middle of the west wall, and the windows and casements are late 20th century softwood, obliterating any evidence of earlier window opening in either the ground floor or first floor (S1).