Christopher Hussey continues:-

“The doorway may be of circa 1550, the staircase beyond, about 1700, and the great open fireplace, in what was probably the kitchen, cannot be much later than 1550, possibly a century earlier. The builder seems to have been anxious about the wide span of the opening; not only did he incorporate the customary relieving arch above it, but the wooden beams introduced below and above the relieving arch appear to be in the nature of ties or 'chimney bars,' designed to divert weight from the main arch.”