Timber Framed

Fully timber-framed. That is, from the ground upwards, starting on a large horizontal timber known as a sole-plate which was usually raised a little above ground-level on courses of brick or consolidated rubble. Both of them are half-timbered, with a ground floor built of masonry and a first floor constructed of wooden studs (with varying infill between) resting on a timber wall-plate. A timber-framed roof, consisting of a series of trusses then surmounts what lies below, resting on another wall-plate and mainly thatched with reed to begin with - this material being replaced by tiles later on to reduce fire-risk. In order for rainwater to run off thatch satisfactorily, the pitch of a roof needs to be about 60 degrees and there are a number of buildings on the High Street which have this characteristic to reveal earlier origins than may at first appear visible. See more...