NHER 13542 (Building record) - The Bull Inn

December 1951. Listed, Grade II.
Listing Description:
Public house. C17 with C18 former stables and an early C19 side extension. Rendered timber frame with flint and brick gable-ends, brick stables and colour-washed brick side extension. Pantiled roofs, black to original block. 2 storeys with attics to original block. Original block of 2 bays with C19 sash windows at ground floor 3-light casements above and flat headed dormers with 2-light casements with glazing bars. Gable-end stacks. C19 side extension of 3 bays with 4 sash windows with glazing bars and one later C19 replacement. Central raised and fielded panelled door. Doorcase with reeded pilasters and flat hood on pair of shaped brackets. Steps with swept metal railings. Former stables form frontage along Mileham Road. 3 sash windows with glazing bars at upper floor. 3 ground floor windows beyond (one blocked) with segmental heads. Den- tilled cornice and carriage entrance beside main block. Beams with ogee and nicked stops in original block. Brick fireplace with plain chamfered shallow arch. Some C18 doors with raised and fielded panels. Jowled wall posts and butt-purlin roof to original block.
Information from (S1).
H. Mellor (HES), 23 June 2017.

Massively built, of two storeys, flint brick and plaster coating clearly over a timber frame. Buttressed corners.
E. Rose (NAU), 7 April 1978.

(S1) describes as 17th century, timber framed with expanded posts and ogee stops, clad in 18th century brick.
[1] states that main room stands on four oak trees with roots upturned, with sleeper walls of very early brickwork. This is not mentioned in (S1); but elsewhere in England the practice of using upturned tree stumps as corner supports is recorded. But is this just a legend derived from the expanded topped posts?
E. Rose (NAU), 4 March 1983.

(S2) quotes records of the Bull Inn in 1620 AD.
R. Rickett (NAU), November 1983.

March 1999.
Noted in passing that the ground floor was once divided into two rooms (now opened out with reused timber as post); the southern room has a large 17th century fireplace, probably a kitchen.
The story about the four oak trees is not known in the inn, but instead they have a story that a complete oak tree is walled up in the northwest corner; again, probably derived from a jowled post.
E. Rose (NLA), 29 March 1999.

January 2004.
Timber framed building with flint and brick firegables; two storeys and attic, north end more ornate. First innkeeper stated to be recorded 1620, building is of about that date but more resembling a private house, or perhaps and alehouse. Now incorporates a house to the south with 19th century façade, perhaps on older core. 19th century extensions to east include carriage arch, magistrates court and stables, perhaps marking upgrading of premises to a coaching inn when adjacent turnpike opened.
See (S3) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 27 January 2004.

September 2005.
Works on stable wing revealed further reused timbers and what may be a prehistoric rubbing stone set in the floor.
(S4).
E. Rose (NLA), 27 September 2005.