Building record 1087000000 - WOODPECKERS, 25 HIGH STREET

Grade II. C17 with possibly earlier work. Two storeys. Colour washed coursed rubble. Thatch hipped and swept down to Burts Lane side. Modern leaded casements, 3 to ground floor, centre one in former doorway, 2 to first floor central stack. Rear wing (along Burts Lane). One storey and attic, colour washed rubble (ammonite inset at rear) thatch with half hipped gable with 3-light first floor casement. Three small ground floor windows, 2 with leaded glazing. Interior has 3 trusses in rear wing may be upper parts of late crucks. (Records of Bucks XVIII Pt 2 1967) (B1).
3 cruck trusses with straight blades. Source: A.G. Taylor (B2).
Building survey and sampling for dendro-dating carried out in January 1989 suggest the building was constructed as a three-bay hall house in the late 15th or 16th century. A chamber probably occupied bay 1 with an open hall and hearth in bay 2 with bay 3 being the service bay. Three cruck trusses remain, visible at first-floor level, at least one terminates just above the collar (possibly type 'W'). Bay 3 was remodelled and a two-storey N wing added in the early to mid 18th century, when a chimney and upper floor was inserted in bay 2 and the walls rebuilt in stone. In the early 19th century bay 1 was rebuilt in stone, the staircase and yard door inserted. A rear extension was built in the twentieth century and later extended. 8 samples were taken taken for dendro-dating but no matching was possible. See report for detail (B3).