Description

DOWN ST MARY
SS 70 SW
2/178 Oak Tree Farmhouse, including
26.8.65 outbuilding adjoining to west

- II

Farmhouse. Mid C17 with probably earlier core, late C17-early C18 improvements
and extension. Plastered cob on rubble footings; stone rubble or cob stacks
topped with C20 brick; concrete tile roof of 1983 (formerly thatch), slate roof to
outbuildings.
Main house has 3-room-and-through-passage plan with inner room at right (east)
end. Late C17-early C18 stair block and dairy projecting to rear of hall. End
stacks to service and inner rooms, the latter projecting, and axial hall stack
backing onto passage. 2 storeys.
Regular but not symmetrical 4-window front of C20 iron-framed casements with
glazing bars. Large stone buttresses between windows prop the internal
crosswalls. Passage doorway left of centre now contains Roof plank door and
monopitch and slate-roofed porch on plain timber posts. Roof is gable-ended.
Rear wall is exposed cob and devoid of fenestration. Stair and dairy block
includes a late C17-early C18 oak 3-light casement with flat-faced mullions given
shallow internal ogee mouldings, internal iron bars and containing rectangular
panes of leaded glass.
Interior: shows only C17, C18 and later features, but the layout suggests that
earlier features may be hidden. All internal crosswalls are cob and full height.
The service room has C17 crossbeam, soffit-chamfered with scroll-nick stops, and
massive kitchen fireplace with large blocked side oven and blocked doorway to rear
smoking chamber. Fireplace lintel is not exposed. Hall has C17 soffit-chamfered
and bar runout stopped crossbeam, and granite fireplace with its lintel also
hidden. C18 cupboard at upper end of hall has fielded panel door. Also cream
oven alcove. Early C18 3-fielded panel doors to inner room and stair block.
Service room does not have exposed beam and its fireplace is blocked. Stairs
replaced circa 1930. First floor has some C18 3-fielded panel doors including one
to chamber over dairy. Fireplace in chamber over inner room has late C17-early
C18 fireplace with soffit-chamfered mantel shelf. Roof completely renewed circa
1983. Adjoining to left of main house is an agricultural store which was built in
C17 as a 1-room plan cottage with end stack (now in party wall with C18 byre). It
is 2 storeys with 1 window front of C19 casements with glazing bars and door to.
right. Interior has original soffit-chamfered and scroll-stopped crossbeam and
rubble fireplace has plain oak lintel. Roof C18 A-frame trusses with pegged lap-
jointed collars and X-apexes.

Listing NGR: SS7305403690

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26551052

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)