Upper Ansdore Guest House

Upper Ansdore was probably a first floor hall house dating from the late medieval period circa 1380. In rural areas this form of house was favoured for defence purposes - generally they are not large.

The ground floor was probably used as store rooms or as a subsidiary living accommodation. Above the first floor is a hall of two bays originally open to the roof with a single bay solar adjoining which was always ceiled providing an attic. Two hundred years later in the 16th century a chimney was built in what was called the screens passage.

This chimney built of Tudor bricks is large on today's standard but it allowed two fireplaces on the first floor, and two on the ground floor so that all rooms could be heated. Also note the bread oven to the side of the fireplace. One fireplace has stone supporting pillars with an oak lintel that is moulded in the Tudor Arch or the Four Centred Arch.