Building record 1083200000 - SYCAMORE FARMHOUSE, 9 BICESTER ROAD

Grade II. Medieval and C17 with C18 refronting, 2 storeys. Timber-framed with brick infill (some herringbone) and refacing. Tiled roof. East elevation has left hand bay of exposed timber framing and higher roof. Modern 4-light casement on ground floor, older similar to first floor. Remainder of elevation brick faces. Two ledged doors, one 4-light casement between and two 3-light casements on right. Three 3-light casements with leaded glazing to first floor. Massive brick stack at change of roof line opposite left hand door with diagonal shaft and moulded capping. West elevation: timber-frame on rubble stone bases brick infill (some herringbone). Door on left with modern open gabled porch, modern steel window on right. Two first floor casements, 3-light to left, 2-light to right, old leaded glazing to both. One storey bay on left, painted brick, one 3-light leaded casement. Timber-framed bay on left linking with No 13. North gable to street timber-framed with brick. Interior has remains of 2 cruck trusses in northern part. No 13 adjoining is a rear wing of 2 storeys, rubble stone, tiles; 2 modern casements (B1).
Felling date of 1205 obtained by dendrochronological dating from passing braces (B2).
2 cruck trusses with single curve blades. Source: Roger Evans, Buckinghamshire CC (B3).
Historic building survey, sampling for radio-carbon and dendro-dating and documentary research carried out in February 1989, February and November 1990 and July 2009, identified at least 5 major building phases, with additional evidence for much rebuilding and other alterations. The earliest phase comprises a probably 3-bay aisled hall dated to 1205 by dendro-dating, with one nearly complete roof truss (Truss 4a) and the posts of second (Truss 3) surviving. The arcade posts have external upstands, with the tiebeam joined to the plates with an inclined cogged joint and the truss has passing brasses from the apex to the aracade posts with notch-lapped joints. The front aisle has been subsequently removed and the rear aisle probably reduced in width. The arcade plates are re-used as the existing curved braces conceal earlier notch-lap joints. An undecorated crown post, braced to the collar purlin, was thought to be a primary feature of the truss despite being 50 years earlier than any other known crown post, but radiocarbon dating gave a felling date range of 1299-1324, demonstrating that it is a secondary feature, probably added to strengthen the truss in the early 14th century. Sometime in the 15th century bays 2 and 3 were rebuilt, the front aisle removed and a new truss (Truss 2) inserted. Parts of the existing trusses were replaced and there is evidence for a wattle and daub partition inserted between bays 3 and 4. In the 16th century, bay 4 (and possibly bay 5) was rebuilt, with the original truss (Truss 5) replaced by elm crucks or raised crucks of Type W. In the 17th century bay 1 was probably added, providing a two-storey timber-framed chamber block with attic above. In the late 17th century the far end of bay 5 was rebuilt, parallel to the main road. In the 18th century and 19th centuries the front of the house was faced in brick, a new roof was added to bays 2-5 and the front wall was raised. The documentary evidence for the building can be traced back to 1553, and possibly to 1531. The building and its farm was owned by All Souls College, Oxford and the Syms family were the tenants from 1553 untill 1815, when the land was sold. See report for detail (B4).