Building record 244/3/1 - Tudor House and No. 4 (Tudor Cottage) School Lane

House and cottage. C16/C17. House to right, squared coursed ironstone, artificial stone slate roof, flanking brick and stone stacks. Cottage to left, now part of "Tudor House", late C17. Tudor House was used as a Public House in the C19, known as "The Blackmoor's Head", until c.1878, when it became the village Reading Room.

{1} House and cottage. C16/C17. House to right, squared coursed ironstone, artificial stone slate roof, flanking brick and stone stacks. 2 storeys and attic, 3 bays. Gabled central porch, 2 storeys and attic, has entrance with 4-centred stone arch and square hood. Inner doorway has moulded 4-centred arch and C16/C17 ribbed plank door. 3-light window to left with square hood, wood mullions and old iron casement. Similar window to right, with wood lintel. 3-light stone mullioned windows with stone hoods on first floor. Porch has 2-light stone mullioned window to attic. Coped gable ends with kneelers. 3-light wood-mullioned window with stone hood to ground floor on right side. 3-light stone mullioned window to first floor and similar 2-light window to attic. Cottage to left, now part of "Tudor House", late C17. Squared coursed ironstone, tiled roof, brick and stone stacks. 2 storeys, 4 bays. Entrance in left bay has segmental stone arch and ridged plank door. Two 3-light casement windows to right with wood lintels. One-light window with wood lintel in right bay. Similar window in right bay on first floor. Other first floor windows are 2-light with wood lintels. Interior: Tudor House has set of chamfered beams on both floors. Tudor House was used as a Public House in the C19, known as "The Blackmoor's Head", until c.1878, when it became the village Reading Room.

{3} A smaller, apparently subordinate manor also existed in the village and was known as Wakelyn's. The Wakelyn family were resident in the village from as least 1329, when a Thomas Wakelyn of eydon is referred to. The manor and land were bought soon after 1634 by John Browne, who added them to the lands of the main manor. It is now known as Tudor House.

{4} The front wall of 4 School Lane is believed to be the vestiges of the 16th century manor precinct wall, somewhat altered for the introduction of the current cottage openings and originally surmounted by a large stone coping with drip-moulding. The remains of the coping stones now comprise only the outer, lower course. There are a pair of non-matching three-light stone-mullioned windows at upper floor level on the front elevation. The mullions are mis-matched and ill-fitting and above each is a pair of well-preserved label-stops for missing drip mouldings. The windows have clearly been imported from elsewhere. A re-set decorative stone high up on the frontage, is probably a former corbel or a label-stop and represents a male head with chain mail hood maybe dating to the 12th or 13th century. The rear elevation of the building is less imposing but also contains a single principal phase of construction. A secondary rear wing stands at right angles to the cottage and in terms of stonework is clearly of an additional build. The hall or parlour contained a 19th century timber fire surround which had been removed to expose an earlier inglenook, which still had its original warming seating niches, together with hand- and tobacco--rests for each behind. The bressumer of the inglenook appears to be a re-used medieval moulded-oak beam. The reveals to the opening are of a mixture of ironstone and brick, including 19th century examples of the latter, while to the side is a warm cupboard, often called a salt-cupboard, well-lined with 18th-century bricks. The kitchen, though plain, has a window with ornate ovolo mullions and large central pillar. This is almost certainly an introduction from a building and room of a much higher status and is of probable 17th century date. The roof is modern, as is the first floor ceiling. The former roof was probably thatched. [more detail in report]

{5} Undated photo;

{6} Drawings, measurements, sketches;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 8/87 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F03 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Walker, C., 2011, Archaeological desk-based assessment of land at Eydon Hall, Eydon, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN108146.

<4> Soden, I., 2013, The origin and development of Bailey's Cottage, 4 School Lane, Eydon, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN110240.

<5> Photographs of buildings in Eydon (Photographs). SNN111701.

<6> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/106/2,4,5,7,8,26 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Aug 28 2024 2:34PM