Yeomans

Description

Yeomans comprises two ranges in the form of an L-shape. The principal range on the west side of the building is timber-framed, and is now underbuilt to first floor in flint with brick dressings, with tile-hanging on the south and west elevations. A second range projects east at the northern end, and is in flint.

On the northern end of the principal range is a 2-storey porch, dated 1584. The visible timber framing on this elevation (and the porch) has decorative panelling and an under-eave frieze that is unusual in this area. The northern gable and porch gable have moulded boards and bressumers with pendants; the fenestration is arranged to flank the porch on each storey. There is a wide, square-headed planked door on the west side of the range.

There is a large, four-flue stack on the junction of the two ranges; and external stack off-centre against the southern end, and a two flue stack to a single-storey projection against an outshot to the east. Very little timber can be seen at ground floor level, confined chiefly to axial girders, and mid-ties.

There are back-to-back hearths with timber bressumers to the northern stack and there appear to be 'witchmarks' on the bressumer above the eastern hearth

At first floor, the bay posts are reasonably visible, and the scantling is heavy, with good jowls. Arch-bracing has been removed in some places. A partition has been inserted in the second bay, enlarging the room originally within the first bay, and a partition removed from under the second bay, where there was once a central doorway. A partition to the west of the head of the stairs has the evidence for an earlier doorway. The wall framing midway through the building, has a curious central St Andrew's cross formation, and there is evidence to suggest another doorway at the western side.

The roof space has sufficient headroom to suggest it was intended for some use, such as storage. The structure is in two distinct parts: in the north part there are two rows of clasped side-purlins, which extend just south of the centre of the building, where they have been cut. At the trusses there are high collars with queen-posts which interrupt the 'collars' between the lower row of purlins. This structuring can be seen on the northern gable. Over the southern bays the roof is formed with staggered butt-purlins. The rafters throughout are pegged at the apex without ridge boards, but the scantling over the northern section is superior in finish and workmanship than to the south.

Conclusions

The principal range fronted to the west with a porch dated 1584 did not give the impression of having stood on its own, and the stack with eastern hearths at both levels supported the contention that the range had been built against another building to the north, which must have pre-dated the present flint wing. The fortunate survival of a drawing made in 1855 confirmed this theory, as it showed a wing gabled to the north, jettied along its eastern elevation, and framed with large corner bracing (see picture below). With this evidence there appears to be good grounds for a sequence of alternate re-building:

• there was an early build with an open hall to the west of a floored cross-wing (1400s)

• in the second half of the 1500s the hall was reduced and the new wing built-the two wings were then virtually connected by a stack

• towards the end of the 1800s, the old cross-wing was replaced with a smaller wing, gabled to the east, still served by the connecting stack was retained

There have been some considerable changes in the southern bays of the main range; there is at least fifty years difference between the two roof constructions; the change in construction corresponds with changes to partitioning, and these might be connected with the addition of the outshot; there is evidence to suggest that the first floor eastern elevation was once close-studded, and so presumably visible from outside. The decorative framing to the northern elevation is not characteristic of this area, but both that and the porch do seem to be all of a piece with the range, and the date might be about right. Was this some in-comer, making a statement? This style is more commonly met in the Midlands, and there are similar 'oddities' in the locality that can be associated with the Newton family-notably East Mascalls at Lindfield, and Clayhill at Ringmer. Was this some associate, or someone influenced by their buildings?

A pencil drawing of Yeomans, Hamsey, 1855. Reproduced by kind permission of SAS.

Yeomans, 1946

Tithe Data

306 House, Barn, Yard etc.
(Yeomans)

1841 Census

Tenement Analysis

Buildings

Archaeology

Old Maps

Further Information