Building record SNF 018 - The Old Tannery, 8-10 Church Hill

The Old Tannery adjoins the western side of Church Hill in Sternfield, approximately 250 m north-west of St Mary’s church. The timber-framed and rendered structure is listed at grade II and was built in the third quarter of the 17th century as a single dwelling of some substance, but had been divided into three or more cottages by the time of the 1838 tithe survey. It then belonged to the extensive local estate of William Long Esquire of Hurts Hall in Saxmundham, 1 km to the north. The cottages were re-converted into a single house by the previous owner during the latter part of the 20th century, but there is no obvious historical evidence for its present name - although an adjoining stream which forms the boundary with Benhall parish may have provided a source of water for tanning.

The original house reflected the standard ‘three-cell’ room plan of its period, with a central hall flanked by a pair of service rooms above a brick cellar on the north and a parlour on the south. The cross-passage opened onto a bake-house wing behind the service bay which may
represent a slightly later addition like the staircase which preserves the decorative external pargeting of the original back wall. Much of the timber frame consists of re-used timber in the typical manner of the 17th century, with numerous roll-moulded 16th century ceiling joists in
the ceilings of both the cellar and the hall which explain the property’s inaccurate date in the Schedule of Listed Buildings. An unusual fireplace was inserted into the northern attic chamber during the late-17th century or early-18th century, resting only on the first-floor
ceiling and a brick support attached to a new gable. It has been suggested that this fireplace is structurally unsound but it appears not to have moved in three centuries. Other features of historic interest include the original service doorways with neatly chamfered lintels which are
nailed rather than tenoned to their jambs, and evidence of unusual plasterwork in the hall and parlour ceilings which concealed the re-used joists of the outer bays but exposed the new, tallsectioned and chamfered joists of the inner bays adjoining the chimney.The principal ground
floor fireplaces have been rebuilt but two original bedroom fireplaces may lie hidden on the upper storey (S1).