The right way to preserve a 16th century (probably) wattle and daub internal wall?

[philpjuk100]

We have wattle and daub internal walls from when folks used to live in our roof. There is evidence of the wattle on the other side but I am unable to take a pic as someone has put a huge water tank there! There is also a fireplace and "blind" window frames—medeival three bay hall house with inserted floors and chimneys.

 

[Cubist]

Hi Phil, That place gets a Wow from me but then I'm a timber frame nut of long standing. That first picture suggests that two of the posts were later installations the reason for which may be lost to history but have you any ideas why they were needed? That fireplace too is a little gem and obviously installed a long time after the original build. Initially I'd assumed it was on the ground floor but the timbers on the left suggest that's wrong. an upper floor bedroom perhaps or is this in a 'lean too' section of the house?

 

[philpjuk100]

The fireplace is in the roof/attic. Yes some of the posts look newer, maybe when chimneys were added and a lime ash floor was added to accommodate extra folks. The House was dated by James Wright as 1350/1400. Soot on roof timbers from before chimneys were inserted.