House. C17. Timber framed. (1)
Listed on the same listing at 8 Blacksmith Lane.
The current National Heritage List for England entry (NHL: 1045986) dates the building to the seventeenth century. However, the potential of the moulded spine beam in the parlour, jointing of the wall plate and construction of the framing and roof structure points towards a much older structure – potentially of late mediaeval date - which has previously gone unnoticed. (2)
4 Blacksmith Lane: This L-shaped building demonstrated evidence of a largely intact late mediaeval timber-frame clad with later brickwork. A narrow brick extension masks much of the original west elevation and has been there since at least 1880 when it was shown on the Ordnance Survey mapping. The main north-south range has a 3-bay, hall house plan with parlour (south bay), hall (central bay) and kitchen (north bay). The former west façade is visible behind the later western extension and has two posts (one on a pad stone) with jointed rails that have relict mortices for studs. The spine beams of all three ground floor bays have chamfers with diagonal cut stops common until the sixteenth century (Hall 2005, 159). The spine beam of the parlour features an ogee and quarter circle moulding, popular in the late mediaeval period. A similar moulding, from the Old Sun Inn, Saffron Walden, Essex, was dated c 1350-60 (Hewett 1980, 311), although this moulding achieved greater popularity in the fifteenth and early sixteenth century (Forrester 1972, 19, 31). The moulding is followed by to a roughly cut chamfer at the north end and, at this point, there is also the severed tenon of a stud in the soffit of the beam which may indicate the former presence of a subdivision in this bay – possibly for a screen. The first floor is also divided into three bays. The west and east wall plates have stop-splayed scarf joints with squinted butts. Hewett (1980, 267) dates this type of joint to the period c 1325-1400 – with common use in vernacular buildings towards the end of that range. The wall plates also house the relict mortices of upward braces jointed to the principle, posts. The tie beam is jointed to the wall plate and principle post (via an integral bracket) through the standard lap dovetail assembly. The accompanying tie beam of the principle truss between the central and southern bay is cambered – another indicative mediaeval feature - which would not be expected after the mid-sixteenth century (Hewett 1980, 228). The western wall plate of the central bay has extensive evidence for ritual taper burn marks. Whilst there are many other such examples in the building, this assemblage has particular significance. The centre-line drying crack through the timber has opened through the burns. Dean and Hill (2014, 1-15) have demonstrated that where this has occurred there is potential to date the creation of the burn marks to within 15 years of construction of the building. Other evidence of ritual graffiti within the building includes compass drawn circles and daisywheels on the timbers of the first floor and attic. The oak roof structure consists of slender common rafters with single dovetail halved collars. Only the south bay has visible side purlins, which are located beneath the collars. The timbers of the southern and central bays have evidence of smoke-blackening, indicating that they were once open to a ground floor open hearth – which again points to a mediaeval or sixteenth century date (Harris 2012, 31). The central bay is divided from those to north and south by lime and horse hair plaster over timber laths. The northern bay has very wide oak floorboards which are not younger than the early seventeenth century (Hall 2005, 165). It is possible that all three bays were once single storey constructions and the insertion of the first floor and attics may have taken place during the early modern period alongside the chimney flues. Alternatively, the south bay may always have had multiple storeys – a factor related to the higher status of this end of the house. The brick east-west range is a later addition. It has a 3-bay roof structure with staggered purlins, tenoned rafters and single dovetail halved collars, probably dating to the mid-seventeenth to early eighteenth century (Harris 2012, 65). The principle rafters and collars have deeply chiselled carpenter’s assembly marks characteristic of the latter end of this period (Brunskill 1999, 34). The floor frame of this range is contemporary with the roof. (2)

Listed buildings slides, (Photograph). SNT2648.

<1> DOE, Listed Building Description (Published document). SNT228.

<2> Triskele Heritage, 2019, The Fox Inn, Main Road and 4 Blacksmith Lane, Kelham Statement of Significance (Unpublished document). SNT5231.