Last updated: March 2025
On this page you can view my galleries of historic oak timber-framed buildings.
I’ve been photographing these iconic buildings for several years, focusing on those in Sussex and Hampshire.
The galleries can be viewed by English county. Please see my blog posts on this subject by clicking through the Oak Timbers tag.
I update these pages when I’ve gathered new images. So do check back if you’re interested. I’ll try to post blogs when I can to update.
Sussex
Sussex is my home and the place where I fell for these beautiful old buildings. The place most to blame for this has to be the Weald & Downland Living Museum in the South Downs National Park near Chichester. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’d like to see some of these wonderful timbers for yourself.
Battle, East Sussex
I visited Battle for a couple of hours in early 2025. Its timber-framers are concentrated along the rather busy and loud main road, which has a lot of agricultural traffic. The village is named after the fact is was the site of one of the major battles during the Norman invasion of Anglo-Saxon England in 1066.
Ditchling, East Sussex
Ditchling is a small, busy village at the foot of the South Downs in East Sussex. The most prominent timber-framed building is the famous Anne of Cleves House (not to be confused with the house of the same name at Lewes, and also known as Wings Place).
Henfield, West Sussex
Henfield is situated in the Adur valley, surrounded by wetlands, not far from the South Downs. It’s home to one of the most iconic timber-framed houses I’ve seen – the Cat and Mouse house!
Heyshott, West Sussex
Heyshott has a very remote feel to it, sitting at the foot of a steep ascent onto the South Downs. I like how this old cottage is nestled in among the greenery.
Lewes, East Sussex
Lewes is a special place for me. I don’t have any familial connections in the area, but I got married to my wife at Anne of Cleves House (above) in 2024. It’s a place full of historic buildings and is in a unique setting surrounded by the South Downs.
Midhurst, West Sussex
Ah, Midhurst, the place where I learned to love timber-framed buildings. I worked in the town for four years and had to chance to wander the streets during lunchbreaks to snap some pics of the wonderful cottages and old houses around the town. A couple of the photos here are of Easebourne, the village that you pass through when entering into Midhurst.
Petworth, West Sussex
Petworth is known for its National Trust property and vast grounds. In the village, which is bisected by the A272, there are a good share of timber-framed buildings. Many of them are in very good condition, likely because their owners have invested in their upkeep and appreciate the heritage of these beautiful buildings. I’ve driven through Petworth’s centre hundreds of times but in early 2025 I finally managed to spend a day wandering around looking for timber-framed buildings. The results are above.
Rye, East Sussex
Rye sits near the Kent border in the far east of the county, its development over millennia driven by the nearby coast and its receding waters. ‘Rye’ is an old English word for ‘island’, which relates to a period when it was more water-bound. The Mermaid Inn is one of the most famous timber-framed buildings in the town, with very well preserved interiors.
Singleton (Weald & Downland Living Museum), West Sussex
The Weald & Downland Living Museum is somewhere that has taught me a lot about timber-framed buildings. It’s a joy to visit and I will definitely being going back again and again.
Steyning, West Sussex
Steyning is a picturesque market town, once connected to a vast estuary that shaped medieval Sussex. It has many interesting buildings and like many of the villages here is close to the South Downs.
Wiltshire
Salisbury
My experience of Wiltshire’s timber heritage has so far been confined to Salisbury, but what a place it is for old buildings.
Hampshire
Clanfield
I used to pass this cottage when travelling across the South Downs for work. Towards the end of my time doing that journey I knew I needed to jump out and get some photos. This was the last time I visited Clanfield, so I’m glad I did.
Winchester
Winchester is a famous cathedral city in Hampshire, close to the South Downs. It has a number of historic parts to it and dates back to Roman times.
Kent
Canterbury
Canterbury is one of the best places to witness oak timber-framed buildings in England, with many of them concentrated around the main high street.
Chilham
Chilham is a village in the North Downs, not far at all from Canterbury. There are a lot of timber-framed buildings here and a church, also.
Suffolk
Lavenham
Lavenham is one of the best-preserved medieval market towns in the UK, and the most unique I have experienced. It is dripping in old timber-framed buildings, home to the famous Lavenham Guildhall.
Kersey
Kersey is a village outside Lavenham that is holds much of its timber-framed character across the core of the high street. On the outskirts I found a building which seemed to be dated to the 1300s!
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