Building record 3398/0/4 - No.25 Church Lane (The Monks House)

Hall house. Mid-late C15, altered C17 and C19. Renovated and altered 1966-7. 15th century door surround and window survive. Wall paintings uncovered during during the renovation did not survive

{1} House. Mid-late C15, altered C17 and C19. Renovated and altered 1966-7. Coursed limestone rubble, C20 plain-tile roof replacing thatch, C20 stone end and ridge stacks. Hall house of three and a half bays, sub-divided horizontally at a later, probably C17, date to give 3-unit lobby-entry plan. 2-storey, 3-window range. C20 plank door to right of centre has C15 stone surround with chamfered jambs, four-centred 3-light C20 diamond-leaded casement windows to ground floor and similar 2-light casement loor, all with wood lintels. Kneelers survive of former coped gable to right. Projection to left end has stepped stone top and is hollow-possibly a former garderobe shaft. Single-storey extensions to right and to rear left and right. Head of a 2-light C15 window to rear with cinquefoil-headed lights and cut spandrels re-set at a lower level and reversed at renovation with new stone mullion. Interior: C16 decorative wall paintings to splays of C15 window discovered in course of renovation were not preserved (photographs in N.M.R.). Open fireplace with chamfered bressumer and chamfered spine beams. 2 trusses survive of original roof. Tie and arch-braced collar beams to principals and king post, halved over collar, to square set ridge piece. Stop-chamfered curved windbraces to single purlins and curved braces to ridge piece. Divided into two cottages before renovation and formerly known as The Old School House. It may have originally been built as a priest's house.

{4} A simple rectangular building on the west side of The Green. Early features include the east door, roof trusses and the head of a two-light window, which indicate high-quality work. Most features indicate an original date of mid/late C15th, possibly 1471. During the 1966 repair work C16th wall paintings were revealed on the west wall of the supposed hall. These were not preserved. [SMR note: incorrect NGR given.]

{6} Wall paintings were revealed in 1966 and subsequently destroyed. They were found on both jambs of the medieval window and give an indication of the decoration used within the open hall during the 16th or early 17th centuries. The grisaille strap-work geometric design uses straight lines rather than curves and the surviving fragments suggest that it was a single design that was repeated around the room creating a series of linking triangles and squares. Renaissance motifs were used within the border and within the central fields of the design was a symmetrical stylized floral motif; photographs;

{8} Seven photos dated April 1967;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 14/11 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F12 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.119 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Woodfield P., 1981, The Larger Medieval Houses of Northamptonshire, p.165-6 (part checked) (Article). SNN23550.

<5> R.C.H.M.E., 1993, RCHME Recording Form, (checked) (Recording Form (Not SMR)). SNN55302.

<6> Woodfield P., 1981 (2015), Brafield on the Green, 25 Church Lane, The Monk's House, (unchecked) (Article). SNN109973.

<7> Historic England, Undated, SCHOOL HOUSE BRAFIELD ON THE GREEN, BRAFIELD ON THE GREEN, BF032341 (Archive). SNN116058.

<8> Miss June Swann, 1960s- 70s, Miss June Swann Photographic Archive (Photographs). SNN116665.

Record last edited

Dec 18 2024 12:07PM