Description

OTTERTON OTTERY ROAD, Otterton
SY 0885
7/196 Rydon Farmhouse and Rydon
- Farmhouse
GV II
2 houses occupying a former farmhouse. Probably C16 and C17, a datestone records
modernisation of 1707, renovated and divided into 2 houses in 1986. Plastered cob on
stone rubble footings, parts rebuilt or extended with C19 and C20 brick; mostly
stone rubble stacks topped with brick; thatch roof.
Since an internal inspection was not possible at the time of the survey it is
difficult to assess the layout and development of the house. The main block faces
south-east onto Ottery Road with rear blocks projecting at right angles from each
end. The oldest part is the main block and it has a 3-room-and-through-passage plan
house. However it seems there are 2 service rooms left (south-west) of the passage
with an axial stack between and the hall is at the right end with a projecting front
lateral stack and a parlour block projects at right angles to rear. Rydon Farmhouse
occupies the rear parlour end block, hall, passage and first service end room.
Rydon Cottage occupies the second service and room of the main block and the C19 and
C20 brick 2-room plan rear block at right angles behind. 2 storeys throughout.
Irregular 4-window front of C19 and C20 casements mostly with glazing bars. The
oldest are those in the right end bay which contain rectangular panes of leaded glass
and there is another similar in the rear block. The front passage doorway (to Rydon
Farmhouse) is right of centre and contains a C20 plank door with contemporary
monopitch thatch hood. Immediately to right is the hall stack. It is built of the
local brown-coloured conglomerate sandstone with large dressed quoins and limestone
ashlar plinth. The lowest course of the original limestone chimney shaft remains,
the rest rebuilt in brick in 1707 according to a limestone date plaque set in it
which also includes the initials ECL. The main block roof is hipped to right and
gable-ended to left. The left end wall is rebuilt in late C19 brick. The doorway to
Rydon Cottage is in the rear block and dates from 1986 as do the windows there.
Interior. Only Rydon Cottage was available for inspection at the time of survey.
The rear block had been extended and rearranged and all visible features here date
from 1986. The second service end room of the main block has a roughly finished
crossbeam of indeterminate date and a C19 brick fireplace. The roof was
inaccessible but the lower part of a side-pegged jointed cruck roof truss shows
suggesting that C16 or C17 roof also survives over Rydon Farmhouse. The farmhouse is
also said to contain C16 or C17 carpentry detail.

Listing NGR: SY0846285494

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26389759

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

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)