NHER 18107 (Building record) - The Croft

Cheney's Lane, Forncett St Mary.

June 1981. Listed, Grade II.
Listing Description:
16th century timber-frame house. Plastered. Thatched roof with half-hipped ends. Large brick chimney stack off centre. One storey and attic. Ground floor modern casements. Attic gable with 5-light ovolo moulded mullion window with carved cornice, moulded plaster in gable, pendants and modern bargeboards. Under eaves (now blocked) are original windows with square section diagonally set mullions. Later dairy on east end with modern porch adjoining.
Interior chamfered ceiling beams and joists and chamfered fireplace bressumers.
Information from (S1).

May 1982.
Very important probably 15th century two storeyed house with original service stairs and mullioned windows with shutter grooves surviving. Unusual ?later main stairs; trances of screens passage. Restored.
?Moated.
Finds; several domestic items in house. In garden; base of Nene Valley Roman beaker, prehistoric struck flint flake, stone where sherds.
Identified by E. Rose (NAU) and A. Rogerson (NAU).
E. Rose (NAU), 28 May 1982.

April 2000. Visit.
House empty for several years, now undergoing restoration, new thatching undertaken at time of visit (owner not yet in residence). Ditch approx 16m long, 2m wide east to west. South of house, broadens into pond to east. Bridge to south with blocked exit hole into buck line culvert 1.8m long 1.5m wide. New drive has been constructed to west.
H. Paterson (A&E), 5 April 2000.

Important early example of a two storeyed timber framed house on the three cell plan, probably early 16th century, retaining solar stairs and screens passage, mostly unglazed windows but some small glazed examples. In about 1600 (perhaps 1630) extension added, stack extended, dormer inserted. Later alterations. Ritual hoard from fireplace.
Possible homestead moated site; from garden Roman and post medieval sherds and flint.
See full report (S2) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 12 July 2000.