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Summary

16th century open hall house with possible medieval origins, given major renovation in the 17th century including a brick brewhouse, and a formal approach

Monument Types

• BREWHOUSE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• OPEN HALL HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
• WALLED GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Events

• Hertfordshire timber farm buildings survey, 2002

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1/8
• Listed Building (II*) 395453: WESTFIELD
• Area of Archaeological Significance 104
• Listed Building (II) 395454: WALLED FORECOURT AND GARDEN WALLS AT WESTFIELD ADJOINING HOUSE ON EAST AND SOUTH
• Sensitivity Map: westfield farm and moat, enlargement

Full description

Westfield is a long irregular house facing north. It was originally a late medieval timber-framed open hall house <1>; it is Listed as 16th century <2>. The oldest part, east of the central chimney, is the two bay hall; in its east wall is a doorway and window jamb which once led into a two-storey east crosswing. In the mid 17th century this wing was remodelled and much enlarged as a rectangular three-storey block (of red brick with timber above), consisting of a parlour and a staircase-hall above a basement. The hall was given an upper floor and a large central chimney with back-to-back fireplaces at its lower (west) end. At the west end is a single-storey kitchen, entered from a cross passage; beyond this is 'a fine, 17th century, tall, red brick brewhouse' also entered from the cross passage. Outside against its north wall is a tall cast iron pump, serving a well dated 1832. Other 19th century additions and alterations include a brick porch added to the entrance lobby on the north side of the hall in 1846, and probably the timber porch which replaced an original three-storey porch on the east front of the 17th century range. Inside is a very good oak dogleg staircase running through all the floors, and 17th century oak panelling and cupboards in the hall <1, 2>. A small room on the top floor has painted simulated panelling; and the cupboard doors in the hall have a painted central motif of a red oval framed in arabesques, c.1635 <2, 5, 10>.

2002 TIMBER FARM BUILDINGS SURVEY DESCRIPTION:
Timber-framed farmhouse, with studs. Some plastering, some exposed. Tiled roof <3>.

Until the mid 20th century Westfield was a farmhouse, standing at the south end of a large roughly rectangular farmyard with the lane running through the centre; for the farmstead, see [12201]. The 19th century maps <6, 7, 8> show the layout in detail, with a walled garden and trees south of the house. The 'formal cruciform layout' of the walled garden is shown on a 1767 plan of Westfield Farm (in HRO). The high red brick walls date to the late 17th or early 18th century, and as well as the garden, surround a courtyard as the main approach to the house from an avenue to the east; this avenue is on the 1844 tithe map <6>. Tall piers and cast iron gates were inserted into the forecourt in the 20th century <2>, presumably when the house was separated from the farmstead and most of the farm buildings south of the road demolished.

This may be the grange called Caldwyns, documented in the 16th century, which was an alternative name for the manor of the Castle of Cailes <4>; see [797]. The name Westfield, however, is documented as Westfeld in 1251 <9>.
For the possible medieval moat, see [6404].

<1> Smith, J T, 1993, Hertfordshire houses: selective inventory (Bibliographic reference). SHT16660.

<2> Listed Buildings description (Digital archive). SHT6690.

<3> Wilcox, Sallianne, 2002, Hertfordshire timber farm buildings survey: East Herts District: Little Hadham, Much Hadham, Thundridge, Buntingford, Farm 78, site visit 4/07/02 (Unpublished document). SHT16688.

<4> Page, W (ed.), 1914, VCH Hertfordshire vol.4, - p55 (Bibliographic reference). SHT3026.

<5> Rouse, E Clive, 1989, Domestic wall and panel paintings in Hertfordshire; Archaeological Journal 146, 423-50, - p441 (Article in serial). SHT3082.

<6> Tithe map and award, Little Hadham, 1844 (map) (Cartographic material). SHT1377.

<7> OS 25 inch map, 1st edition, 1879 (Cartographic material). SHT8116.

<8> OS 25 inch map, 2nd edition (1897-1901), 1897 (Cartographic material). SHT8113.

<9> Gover, J E B, Mawer, Allen, & Stenton, F M, 1938, The place-names of Hertfordshire, - p179 (Bibliographic reference). SHT3417.

<10> Hayes, P A, 2016, Design & access and heritage statement: Westfield Hall, Westland Green, Little Hadham, Hertfordshire, Including photos of internal details (Unpublished document). SHT17911.

Sources and further reading

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