Reasons for Designation
Wilgate House, Wilgate Green, Throwley is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It was built as a C16 end jetty house of five unequal-sized bays and this plan form is still apparent despite some later C20 alterations.
* A significant amount of original fabric survives, including the principal elements of the timber frame, including corner posts, bay posts and tie beams, the roof assembly of rafters, butt purlins, collars and a number of arched braces, an internal first floor partition and most spine beams and floor joists, which are of heavy scantling. Close-studding is shown on the first floor in a 1980s photograph which is likely to survive beneath the later cladding. Also the late C16 or early C17 brick chimneystack with wooden bressumer survives.
* The timber frame is substantially intact. The later C18 or early C19 ground floor red brick infill illustrates a later period of its history.
* It forms part of a group with Wilgate Green Farmhouse and a barn.
Details
THROWLEY
1446/0/10014 WILGATE GREEN
27-JUL-09 Wilgate House
GV II
House, at one time divided into two cottages. C16, with ground floor brick infill of late C18 or early C19 date. Refenestrated and refurbished in late C20. The late C20 extension attached to the south east is not of special interest.
MATERIALS: Timber-framed. The first floor is clad in weatherboarding, except for the south-west end which is tile-hung. Close-studding on the north-west side is shown in a circa 1985 photograph and is likely to remain under the cladding on this and other elevations. The ground floor framing has brick infill, in English or stretcher bond on a brick plinth. Steeply pitched hipped tiled roof with off central chimneystack projecting through the north-west slope.
PLAN: An end jetty house of five unequal-sized bays. Internally this appears to have comprised three cells with two bay parlour to the south-east, two bay hall and service end of one bay to the north-west. It was probably a lobby entrance house with main entrance on the south-east side, and the original staircase may have adjoined the chimneystack but this area was altered in the late C20. In the C19, or possibly earlier, the building was subdividedd into two cottages.
EXTERIOR: The timber frame is exposed on the ground floor with corner posts and bay posts visible and the south-west end has a jetty with joist ends exposed and rounded off, and supported on wooden brackets. The first floor timber frame is concealed under weatherboarding or tile-hanging but is visible internally. Windows are C20 wooden casements, including a large triple flat-roofed dormer on the south-east side and a tall window lighting the central room on the north-west side. There is a C20 plank door with glazed insert on the south-west side and a C20 door with fifteen glazed panels on the north-west side.
INTERIOR: The north-east ground floor room now comprises three bays. It has a spine beam with two inch chamfer and thick floor joists without chamfers. The floor joists in the central bay have been removed apart from a central section and the wall frame of the central bay on the south-east side has also been removed. The fireplace has a large wooden bressumer with runout stops and the tapering chimneystack with two inch brickwork is visible above. There is a brick floor. The south-western ground floor room is of two bays. The south-west jettied end has square section floor joists running at right angles to the remainder of the room, which has a two inch chamfered spine beam and unchamfered square section floor joists. The 1980s staircase in the central bay leads to the first floor, which now has a central gallery linking rooms at either end. The single bay north-east bedroom has an unchamfered spine beam and floor joists of square section. A corner post and part of a bay post are visible. The internal partition separating the central section from the south-west room surives with tie beam, upright posts and a curved windbrace. Within the two bay south-western bedroom is a chamfered tie beam with triangular stops and curved braces and the penultimate bay has a chamfered spine beam which preserves several carpenters marks and square section floor joists. The end bay has a replaced spine beam but original floor joists. The attic contains two end bedrooms with bathroom inserted on the north west side of the central part. The roof structure has collars butt purlins and original rafters, and includes five curved braces fronm the principal rafters to the purlins.
HISTORY: The house is shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1871 with an identical footprint to the present (apart from the 1980s extension). A path is shown proceeding eastwards from the farmyard of Wilgate Green Farm to the south-west side of the property suggesting that at this date the main entrance was on the south-west side and that the property could have been in the same ownership as the farm. By the 1897 map the property is shown divided into two cottages with an entrance in the same position, but the path now leading northwards to link with a footpath. The building is still shown subdivided on the 1907 map. Later in the C20 the building reverted to single occupation.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Wilgate House is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It was built as a C16 end jetty house of five unequal-sized bays and this plan form is still readable despite some later C20 alterations, which are not of special interest.
* A significant amount of original fabric survives, including the principal elements of the timber frame, including corner posts, bay posts and tie beams, end jetty, the roof assembly of rafters, butt purlins, collars and a number of arched braces, an internal partition and most spine beams and floor joists, which are of heavy scantling.
* The timber frame survives substantially intact and original close-studding is likely to remain beneath the later cladding. The later C18 or early C19 ground floor red brick infill illustrates a later period of the building's history.
* It forms part of a group of listed buildings at Wilgate Green.
