SEVENTEEN PICTURES: Ewhurst Place

In the Crawley area there were originally six timber-framed houses surrounded by moats; Ewhurst Place is the only example where both the house and the complete moat remain. The walls are variously tile-hung, brick-faced or timber-framed. Horsham stone tiles are used on the roof, which is hipped at two ends. The name Ewhurst ("Yew Wood") is one of the area's oldest farm names.

The bridge over the moat is also a grade II listed structure. See here

 

The official listing states that the building probably dates from the late 16th or early l7th century, but the current owner believes that the property dates from the 15th century.

The current building occupies an ancient moated site on which an older building once stood. Indeed, during a dredging of the moat when it was dry during the summer of 1986 revealed ancient foundations believed to date to the 10th century. Some of the wooden stakes survive to this day and are visible during extreme dry spells when the water level of the moat is low.

The north wall has 3 wide chimneybreasts projecting from the wall face, late 16th or early l7th century, the stacks rebuilt but to the old design and using the old bricks; One is the remains of a tower, timber-framing of walling exposed between chimneybreasts also on east wall.

Ewhurst Place originally had a smaller outer ditch, as well as the main moat. Whilst the main moat was to protect the property and its occupants, the outer ditch was to protect the owner's livestock from predators such as wolves, which would have still been roaming the countryside when the house was constructed, and certainly when the original, older, house existed on the site.

A lot of the outer ditch still exists.

An L-shaped timber-framed house of 2 storeys and attics, occupying the north-west angle of a rectangular moated enclosure. The main range, lying east and west, has brick foundations to west and north walls built beside the moat. Unbroken high-pitched roof with short hips at east and west ends. West wall has exposed timber-framing and tile-hanging in gable; south side has ground floor faced with 18th century brick and first floor exposed timber-framing.

An original firemark (below), issued by early insurance companies to show to attending fireman that the house was insured, which meant that they would attempt to extinguish any fires!.

The well (below) in the garden, from which clean, unpolluted drinking water can still be drawn.

There is evidence that the 'tail' of the L (tiled in the picture below) was originally several metres longer with the rest of the wing destroyed by fires in the 1800's. Large foundations exist against the southern side of the moat, some 15 metres away from the wing and in direct line, and close inspection of the brickwork on the ground floor reveals a distinctive change of brick just to the left of the first window on the right. This suggests that the end of the wing was tidied up and closed off after the fire.

Although no evidence exists, there is a belief that the house may originally have been a C shape, coming back across parallel with the main house roughly where the below picture is taken, enclosing the well in a courtyard, accessed by the bridge.

Some of the timbers are of S form. The plaster filling is modern. A 2-storey wing, apparently contemporary, projects southward from the south side of the main range at the east end, its lower storey faced with 18th century brick and the upper storey hung with pointed tiles. Roof of same pitch as the main range with a short hip at the south end, Horsham slabs to all roofs. Windows mostly modern casements with leaded panes, but some older casements. On the first floor internally are 2 small blocked windows with wood mullions, hollow  hamfers, high up under the eaves, one on the west side of the wing, the other at the east end of the main range. Two mullioned windows behind panelling on ground floor.

A good deal of the timber-framing is exposed in the interior. Ground floor room at the west end has some fine early l7th century panelling with double moulded and mitred panels, a smaller panel set within a larger one. This was discovered under wallpaper. Fireback in chimney with date 1632 and the initials EIE. At the time it was built Ewhurst belonged to the Covert Family.

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All photos by Ian Mulcahy. E-mail crawleyoldtown@gmail.com