Building record 0041401000 - MOAT FARMHOUSE

HOUSE SURROUNDED ON 3 SIDES BY MOAT. RECTANGULAR BUILDING OF 2 STOREYS WITH PROJECTING WING ON NE SIDE (B2).
Grade II. House. C16 and C17 with later additions and alterations. Timber frame and brick, partly covered in painted roughcast. Old tiled roofs, large brick stack with diagonal shaft at junction of wings, second small stack to NW gable. 2 gabled dormers to NW wing. 2-storey SE wing, 1 storey and attic NW wing. SE elevation has two 3-light leaded upper casements, C20 door to RH of ground floor with C19 wood 3-light rectangular fanlight, 3-light casement to LH. RH addition under half-hipped gable has a 2-light upper casement, two C20 single windows below. NW wing has 2 bays, 4 and 3 light casements with segmental arched heads. Interior has arch braced truss in SE wing, large open fireplace with brick jambs and moulded stone 4-centred head with plain spandrels; moulded beams. RCHM I p.282 MON.5 (B5).
Dendrochronological dating was undertaken for Moat Farm, Stoke Mandeville. Six timbers were sampled from the frame and roof of the south front room. One timber retained complete sapwood and was felled in the winter of 1498/9 and a second timber lost 4mm of sap on coring and is likely to have been felled in 1497 or 1498. The most likely date of construction for this part of the house is therefore 1499, or within a year or two of this date (B6,B9).
Building recording and analysis carried out by K Rodwell from April to July 2008 as part of a watching brief during alterations and repairs to the building, identified original surviving fabric and enabled a phased plan to be produced. It is suggested that the house originated as a manor house in about 1500, comprising a subsequently demolished hall and service wing, possibly to the NW, with the surviving SE wing forming a two-storey chamber block. Timber-framed and brick NW and NE ranges were added in the 17th century; the NE range contained a staircase, access corridor and service rooms (?dairy), the NW range probably comprised the hall, with a service room (?kitchen) beyond, and a lobby entry at the SW. In the 19th century much of the timber framing was rebuilt or underbuilt in brick, a bread oven and outshot added. See report for detail (B7).
Watching brief carried out during groundworks for house extension between April and July 2008 by John Moore Heritage Services identified probable demolition and floor layers, possibly related to the original hall. See report for detail (B8).