Pirton Local History Group

Stage 1

The first stage is of a simple two bay open hall and one and a half storey service bay and chamber above. The open hall (coloured purple/blue) would have been heated with a central hearth with smoke filtering out through the thatched roof at the ridge. The service range (coloured pale blue) was subdivided into two rooms, one of which would have had a ladder access to the first floor chamber. The two bays were divided by a large central truss with tie beam and collar.

Stage 2

The next development sees the infilling of the draughty open hall. The large axial beam is run across the room with a new vertical support at the front wall and the new chimney breast at the central wall providing support for the other end . The central chimney stack is inserted wrapping itself around the central tie beam enabling the creation of two fireplaces placed back to back. It would appear that the service end fireplace was smaller than the hall fireplace as the partition appears to have been retained.

As a new chamber had been created above the hall, it needed access which was provided by the spiral staircase built in the recess next to the chimney breast. The fireplace is tightly curled around in front of the central tie beam which would have been at a very low height preventing direct access to the rear first floor room.

Stage 3

The new two and a half storey wing is built with the room and chamber separated from the outshut under the catslide roof by a full height internal wall. By cutting into the original roof, it enabled the creation of two attic rooms and considerably enlarged the house. This wing was built unheated.

Stage 4

The inconvenience of a separate access to the rear chamber over the service rooms was resolved by cutting through the central tie beam. The additional wing would have provided some lateral restraint to resist the outward pushing of the roof at this point.

Comfort in the new wing was improved by the construction of an externally sited chimney with fireplaces at both ground and first floors.