35. ETON WICK.
(O.S. 6 in. lvi. N.W.)
Secular
(1). Bell Farm, 500 yards N.W. of the
Church of St. John the Baptist, is a two-storeyed
house, timber-framed, with brick filling, built
in the second half of the 14th century, with
subsequent additions and alterations.
The house is of especial interest, as the complete plan of a mediæval domestic structure of
wood has been preserved.
The plan was originally H-shaped, with the
wings projecting towards the N. and S., the
hall being in the central block, the solar in the
W. wing and the kitchen, etc., in the E. wing.
Towards the end of the 16th century a parlour,
with a room over it, was built, filling the space
between the wings on the N. side and projecting towards the N.; a floor was inserted and a
fireplace built in the hall, and a small newel
staircase constructed in the N.W. corner of the
kitchen; a chimney stack and fireplace were
added on the W. side of the solar wing. The
hall, now the kitchen, was of two bays; the
entrance and screens were at the E. end, but
all trace of these and of the doors opening into
the kitchen, pantry, etc., were destroyed when
the fireplace was inserted; a passage has been
cut off from the W. end and has two doorways,
one opening into the parlour, the other into the
solar wing; the newel staircase is entered from
the E. end of the hall and gives access to all the
rooms on the first floor, except part of the
kitchen wing, now forming a loft and reached
by a ladder; the lower floor of the kitchen wing
is used as a storehouse. In the 19th century
the whole building was much restored and the
exterior considerably altered.
Elevations:—The kitchen and solar wings
are gabled at each end; on the S. side the gables
and the S. wall of the hall are partly covered
with modern tile-hanging, and the lower part of
the wall has been re-faced with brick; the small
open porch is modern. On the N. side the walls
are covered with plaster and the 16th-century
addition is gabled. On the E. side part of the
timber-framing is exposed and has plaster and
brick filling. The chimney stack inserted in
the hall has been re-built above the roof; the
stack on the W. side of the solar wing and
another on the E. side of the parlour wing have
been re-built above the eaves, but the lower part
of both stacks is of 16th-century brick.
Interior:—The parlour has a considerable
quantity of panelling of c. 1580, and the room
over it is completely lined with similar panelling; in the upper part of the N. wall of the
hall, at the E. end, and now on the first floor,
is an original window, of two trefoiled lights,
now blocked, and covered with whitewash. Of
the roof of the hall one complete truss,
and remains of the trusses in the end walls
still exist; the truss has a cambered collar-beam, with king-post and large curved and
chamfered braces forming a two-centred arch.
The first floor of the solar has an open roof,
ceiled on the collar-beams; the one truss visible
has a cambered tie-beam with curved brackets,
and a king-post with curved braces, plain
purlins and wind-braces.
Condition—Good; exterior much altered.
(2). Crown Farm, on the S. side of Eton
Great Common, is a house of two storeys and an
attic, built probably early in the 17th century,
considerably altered later in the same century or
early in the 18th century, and again in the
19th century. The W. front, possibly timber-framed, is covered with rough-cast; the other
walls have been re-faced or re-built with brick;
the roofs are tiled. The original plan was rectangular, with the parlour and kitchen on the
ground floor, a passage between them, and a
small staircase wing at the back; a room has
been added E. of the parlour, and outhouses N.
and W. of the kitchen. The windows on the
W. front have plain iron casements
Condition—Fairly good; much altered and
repaired.
(3). Farmhouse, about 100 yards E. of
Crown Farm, is a two-storeyed rectangular
building, probably of the 17th century, but
much altered. The walls are of whitewashed
brick, with a little timber-framing; the roof is
tiled. The lower part of a large chimney stack
at the S. end is original; the upper part has
been re-built.
Condition—Fairly good; much altered and
repaired.