Bradness TA502

Bradness has a central range with a large chimney stack flanked by wings; the northern wing has an external side chimney stack and the southern wing has a central stack. There are plaques on each wing gable, S: FSS over 12 and N: FSS over 11; these numbers relate to the Sutton Hall estate owned by Frederick Smith Shenstone1869-1916. The house is now largely faced with brickwork using grey headers in a chequer pattern (Flemish bond). The northern elevation has framing in small square panels, visible to the first floor, including a blocked window. The external stack is in English bond brickwork and the bricks are irregularly shaped. The main access is onto the side of the central chimney stack, which is known as a baffle entry. The eaves plates of the central range are significantly lower than those of either wing and the roof above contains reused/reset sooted medieval (pre-1500) rafters with empty collar mortices.

The central range is the surviving two bay hall of a medieval open hall house, possibly dating to the early 14th century (c1310) or even to the end of the l3th century (c1290). The 'high' end was furnished with a planked dais screen with an eastern doorway giving access to an originally floored 'solar' bay (north) which is now gone. It has to be presumed that there was also a floored 'service' bay to the south. The insertion of a mid-tie and the flooring over of part of the central range suggests that the first attempt to control smoke was with a smoke hood in the 'low' end bay of the hall (south). The surviving medieval material in the roof is evidence for at least a collared-rafter roof, although nothing was seen to indicate crown-posting; this could argue for the earlier date.

The original floored bays have been replaced with cross-wings, which both have staggered butt-purlin roofs (c1650). The roof over the southern wing appears to be slightly later than that to the north, but the visible lower framing of the southern wing appears to be heavier and therefore earlier. If the southern wing was the earlier it may have been re-roofed after the northern wing was built. The alterations must have been associated with considerable investment and/or development for multiple occupation.

Farm buildings
A fine four-bay barn, possibly dating to c1590-1630, lies to the north of the house. The bay posts have heavy tapered jowls, the ties some appreciable cambering and bracing is heavy and curved. There is evidence to suggest that one bay (west) may have been partitioned off and floored for storage.

These notes have been compiled from survey reports prepared by Dr Annabelle Hughes. The original reports have been deposited in the Sussex Archaeological Society Library, Barbican House, Lewes, where they can be consulted by researchers.

Coppard's Farm (now Bradness), early 20th century.
Note the appearance of the Sutton Hall estate numbers in the gables in what must be the later of the two pictures.
Reproduced by kind permission of Mike Green

Back of Coppard's Farm from sale catalogue for part of Sutton Hall estate, 1969.
ESRO ACC 7633/85

Tithe Data

Cottage & Garden
(Bradness)

1841 Census

Tenement Analysis

Buildings

Archaeology

Old Maps

Further Information