Site Record

Lower Honkley Farmhouse is a sub-medieval cruck-framed house with late C18/early C19 additions. It is a single-storey and attic timber-framed dwelling externally rebuilt in stone and brick with a stone plinth and a pitched slate roof. It has a cross-shaped plan with a sub-medieval section to the central axis, and a possibly southern porch projection.

The house has recently been refurbished (2009) and is all that survives of what was once a small farmstead with associated farm buildings. It retains evidence of a late-medieval cruck-frame at its north-east end. There are good details of a c1600 house of 2-units with 2-tier square-framing, which has a superior lateral fireplace to its hall. These walls were replaced in brick to provide the present late-18th century, central-entry plan, with a rear kitchen wing. This wing is stone-built and was probably added in the early-18thcentury some parts replaced later in brickwork.The first-floor roof timbers are all new, except for the c1600 dais truss-partition.
Development
1. An early-16th century hall-house, probably of 4-5 bays on the site of the present house
2. Conversion to a c1600 house of 2 units with open hall, lateral fireplace, central dais truss and a storied parlour end. There must have been, at least a south-west end-truss, which had been replaced in brick by the late-18th century. Remains of timbers outside were indicative of this type.
3. The stone kitchen wing was added in the early-18th century and its gable-end altered in brick in the late-18th century with end-fireplace, doorway (blocked) and window.
4. In the late-18th century the timber-frame part was replaced in brick and the porch and pantry added . At this time the hall ceiling-beam and first-floor were inserted, and a lateral fireplace made for the chamber over the hall. At this time the dais trus was altered by making a first-floor doorway.
5. 19th century alterations to the kitchen's end wall include blocking of its doorway and small window. The low porch to the north-east of the hall was added when the in-line buildings were part demolished.
6. General modernisation of c2009, including rebuilding of the lateral fireplace and chimney-stacks, removal and replacement of end-cruck, most roof timbers and all floor timbers. Parts of the exterior brick walls have been repaired or replaced.
Comment
Despite being a much altered building it still retains good internal c1600 details within a late-18th century brick exterior. It might be possible, to reinstate a replica of the early-16th century cruck-truss from the surviving remnants (see reconstruction drawing).
This building was recorded at the suggestion of Wrexham planning department, Geoff Ward, 17/02/2010.