by J.W. Tonkin
This house appears to be a late medieval hall and cross wing type much altered in the early 17th century and again in the early 18th century.
The most probable explanation of the present house is that it started as an open hall perhaps in the 15th century when the fine timber framed part of the main block was constructed. The posts and framing of this still survive as do the great cambered tie beams in the ceiling of the main bedroom. The trusses above these tie beams have unfortunately been removed so there is no real evidence as to the appearance of the original roof. From its height and width it seems certain that this hall was the full length of the present central block. Probably there was a cross wing where the present kitchen and dining wing now is.
Early in the 17th century or perhaps in the late 16th, the present house was built. All that survived of the earlier house was the western half of the hall, though it is probable that the old ground plan was followed and added to.
The hall had a great stack inserted in it backing on to a wide cross passage and a floor was inserted dividing it into a hall and chamber. The roof was removed and the new structure had new tie beams simply leaving the old cambered beams in position but not using them to support the heavy, new roof. This, which runs the full length of the main block and parlour end, is typical of its time with two through purlins each side and a ridge purlin. The roof over the kitchen wing is very similar. Both roofs have straight wind braces in the corners.
Two features of this may give us some clues to the earlier house. The fact that the roof runs in a continuous line may imply that there was always an extra bay beyond the hall at this end. The width of the cross passage may perhaps mean that this was a long house with cattle beyond the passage. If so it is very unlikely that there was a wing at the that end; it would probably have been a bay or two bays in line with the hall.
This new house also had a stack dividing the service wing into two rooms, the modern kitchen and dining room.
At the other end an addition was built to the north with a roof at right angles to the main roof giving two rooms on each floor with a staircase with a flat balusters dividing them. This also continued down into the cellar constructed beneath this wing, and up into attics above. In the south western room of this wing presumably the parlour, is a 17th century panelled dado. This room and the chamber above have an external stack on the west wall. There are good beams in the hall, the southern room of the service wing on both floors, in the great chamber and the room adjoining it.
Those in the great chamber have a very deep camber, about 7 inches, sometimes found in Herefordshire and Shropshire at this period.
Early in the 18th century the house was modernised. A new stairway was inserted in the wide passage backing on the hall stack, giving a typical entrance hall of the period and enabling all bedrooms to be entered without passing through another. The parlour wing was given new fire places in the parlour and chambers above, the latter with a stone lintel bearing roses and thistles and the date 13 July 1706. It is tempting to connect this with the Act of Union the following year. The ceiling of this room and externally the front of the wing were raised so the house with its brick face looked very much like any house of its type in that period. During the 18th century on the new landing a big built in wardrobe was constructed against the side of the stack.
At some later date the upper part of the 17th century stairway was removed and a corridor built along the upper floor of the main block. The front attic in the parlour wing presumably disappeared in the 18th century alterations and the rear attic was presumably lost at this later date. The space once occupied by its stairs is now a cupboard.
The name Grange no doubt implies that this was a farm of one of the monasteries and presumably the alterations of c1600 were done by however acquired it after the Dissolution.