Latched plank and batten doors with iron strap hinges (20), “H” hinges or “L” hinges are common in Batheaston houses of the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries. The earlier doors are generally of oak three plank construction increasing to four and, by the early 19th Century, softwood five plank doors with tongue and grooving were becoming more frequent. The better earlier doors have applied fillets and may be of double thickness if protecting an external entry. Again, hinges are generally fixed to the doors and door frames by iron nails bent over where they protruded. By the 18th Century, hand forged iron screws were becoming more common and recognisable as relatively short, thick, with a coarse thread and generally with a poorly centralised slotted head; a defect not remedied until the advent of machine made screws after about 1780.
20. Examples of door hinges from the survey
(a) Iron strap hinge with base plate, early 18th Century
(b) Iron “H” hinge, late 17th Century
(c) Mild steel “L” hinge, late 19th Century
By the early 18th Century, more sophisticated houses were fitted with four or six panelled doors utilising hinges which would be recognised today. At about the same time the main entry was being protected by flat stone hoods supported on moulded console brackets (Cunnington, 1999, p. 153), a major feature of Batheaston houses.
A number of moulded oak doorcases have been seen with straight or arched heads (21) but, naturally in a stone area, most door surrounds are constructed of dressed stone (22).
21. The entry to a late 16th Century farmhouse
22. A moulded stone door case in a late 16th Century gentleman- clothier’s
house
