Description

NORTH PETHERWIN
SX 29 SW
3/76 Lower Trossell Farmhouse

22.3.88
II

Farmhouse. Probably C16, heavily remodelled in the early C17. Lower end partly
demolished in the C20.
Rendered and painted stone rubble and cob. Rag slate and scantle slate roof with
gable ends. Stone rubble axial stacks with brick and stone rubble shafts.
Plan: Original plan uncertain. The house was probably of 2-room and through passage
plan, the hall on the right possibly open to the roof although probably always heated
by an axial stack backing onto the passage. The lower end on left probably
originally 2-storey with a stair rising from the rear wall of the hall, close to the
fireplace, providing access to the chamber above the passage and lower end. In circa
early C17 the house was considerably remodelled with a floor inserted in the hall and
a 2-storey oriel projection or hall bay added on the front right hand side. The
house was extended with an inner room directly to the rear of the hall, thereby
forming an overall 'L' shaped plan. The inner room was heated by an axial stack,
backing onto the rear wall of the hall and a stair projection was added on the right
hand side of the house, approached from the hall providing access to the chambers
above the hall and inner room. In the C20 the lower end was reduced in size.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 2 window front with entrance to left of centre
and 2 storey gabled oriel or hall bay to right. Chamfered granite 3-centred arch
with lopsided convex stops and C20 door. C20 window to left with C20 window above.
To right small C19 window and gabled 2-storey bay with C20 window on ground and first
floor, the granite cills constructed of re-used labels from C17 mullion windows.
Early unmoulded 2-light mullion window lighting the stair.
Interior: Through passage blocked to rear. Remains of lower end ground floor
remodelled as bathroom in C20. Hall to right is heated by an axial stack backing on
to the passage. The lintel was burnt out and has been replaced but the remains in
the garden are of a deeply chamfered lintel with stepped and ogee stops. Cloam oven
with metal door. On the rear wall near the fireplace, site of earlier turreted or
newel stair. Chamfered floor joists are stopped with stepped and ogee stop. Similar
stops to doorframe of stair projection on right. Fireplace of inner room blocked but
believed to have granite surround and possibly some plasterwork. C19 stair in C17
stair projection. First floor; complete chamfered door frames to chambers above hall
and inner room with stepped and ogee stops.
Roof structure: One clean truss above hall; probably raised jointed cruck truss,
morticed at apex. High collar, dovetailed, notched and lap-jointed of fine quality.
Two sets of deeply trenched purlins. The roof structure at the hipped end indicates
a later remodelling. Roof structure above passage and truncated lower end boxed in.
Above inner room is at least one truss with a morticed apex and either morticed
collars or halved, lap-jointed and pegged collars, the far side of the truss not
accessible. Several of the trusses have been paired with later trusses and all
appear clean.

Listing NGR: SX2442590844

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26597060

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

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living