Picketts

Description

Picketts is an L-shaped building, with framing visible on several elevations. The remaining elevations are in a mixture of brick, flint and tile-hanging. There is a Horsham stone roof over the south wing and the rest is tiled. There are two principal stacks-axial in the north wing and external on the west side of the south wing. In 1938 there was an axial stack within the south wing.

As with at least two other houses in Hamsey parish (Yeomans and Cooksbridge House) this represents a sequence of build and re-build. Changes in ridge lines and eaves heights are vital indicators of where changes have taken place, even if the exact form of those changes is not always clear.

At Picketts there are two changes in ridge height in the northern range. On the western elevation there is a clear difference in eaves level between the two ranges. Internally, the roof structure over the south wing is of staggered butt-purlins with butt-rafters; over most of the north wing it is of through side-purlins with wind-bracing (or evidence) with queen struts.

There are plastered partitions towards the southern end of the north wing; the roof timbers here are soot-stained as is east of the partition; beyond this section, where the roof level is lower, the timbers are heavily sooted.

Most of the truss remains at the southern end of the north wing, and has a central post, with a symmetrical pattern of down-bracing from posts to mid-tie. This section is floored with a spine beam and heavy, medieval-type joists which extend to a southern jetty. The joists to the north are ceiled in. The remainder of the north wing is floored with a spine beam to the stack, chamfered with scroll stops with a rolled bar; the slight joists are chamfered and stopped.

At first floor, to the south of the stack in the north wing is a post at 'd' with the stub of a tie; one large post survives to the north of the stack. Visible evidence for framing at the southern end of the north wing is on the eastern face.

Conclusions

It is possible that the earliest build had an open hall, and it may have been the type known as the wealden-that is, the open hall (possibly at the junction of the two wings). This was flanked by floored bays which were jettied to the south, but under a single roof, so that the hall would have appeared recessed. In this case, only part of the open hall and one floored bay remain, and the evidence suggests it was gabled to the east. Having side-purlins, the earliest house is unlikely to have been earlier than 1475, and could have been as late as 1500.

Towards the end of the 1500s, a further 2 bays were added to the east, one of which appears to have been a smoke bay. Within the 1600s, a stack was built into the smoke bay, and it may have been at this time that the northern bay was added.

Later still, at the end of the 1600s, the southern range was added, rationalising the roof over what remained of the open hall. There was a first floor access between the two ranges.

NB There are ritual protection marks on the bressumer over the hearth in the north wing, which came from the stack removed from the south wing.

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

Picketts in the 1920s

Tithe Data

333 Cottages and gardens
(Picketts)

1841 Census

Tenement Analysis

Buildings

Archaeology

Old Maps

Further Information