Description

SX 79 SE DREWSTEIGNTON BUDBROOK LANE

6/84 Narracott Farmhouse

II

House divided into holiday cottages, former farmhouse. Mid C17 (possibly earlier
core), mid C19 extension, renovated in 1982. Plastered cob on stone rubble
footing-; stone stacks, those in the older part with granite ashlar chimney shafts,
brick to the mid C19 extension; slate roof (origianlly thatch to C17 section).
Plan and development: 1-shaped building. The original farmhouse is the lower block
facing south-west and built down the hillslope. Originally this had a 3-room-and-
through-passage plan with an inner room parlour uphill at the left (north-west) end
with an end stack. The hall has an axial stack backing onto the former passage (the
front door is now blocked). The service end room has an end stack which is now
axial backing onto an unheated fourth room added to the lower end in the mid C19.
Also in the mid C19 a new parlour wing was added at right angles in front of the
former inner room parlour. This faces south-east and contains an entrance hall and
a parlour with a projecting end stack. In 1982 the whole house was subdivided into
3 holiday cottages. 2 storeys throughout.
Exterior: the C19 parlour wing has a regular but not symmetrical 3-window front of
large 16-pane sashes under low segmental arches. The original panelled door with
narrow overlight is at the right end. The low pitch roof over this section is
hipped both ends. The older block is lower. It has an irregular 3-window front of
C19 and C20 casements with glazing bars. The passage front doorway is blocked. The
roof is hipped to right. The rear elevation has a irregular 5-window front of C19
and C20 casements with glazing bars and has 2 C20 doors, the right one is the
passage rear doorway.
Good mid C17 interior: despite the late medieval plan-form nothing shows to
indicate an earlier date However most of the carpentry is covered with mid C17
plaster. Each of the 3 main rooms has a crossbeam clad with plaster which includes
an ovolo-moulded cornice. The hall also includes a deep moulded frieze of leafy
arabesque. Hall and service room fireplaces are blocked. The parlour fireplace
however is exposed; it is granite ashlar with an ovolo-and-hollow-chamfer moulded
oak lintel with scroll stops. The builders reported removing "sgraffito"
plasterwork from the fireplace in 1982. Also an ornamental plasterwork overmantel,
a heraldic motif, was removed in 1982 for conservation by RAM Museum, Exeter. The
work has been done and it is now (1986) awaiting re-erection. The only exposed
carpentry is the plain oak plank-and-muntin screen on the lower side of the passage.
All 3 first floor chambers have ogee-moulded plaster cornices and the roof truss
principals (apparently A-frame) are boxed in. The service end room chamber the
cornice breaks forward around an encased roof truss and is enriched with moulded
leaf scroll decoration.
Narracott Farmhouse appears to be a single phase farmhouse but may include earlier
features. The survival of the mid C17 plasterwork throughout the house is most
unusual. Nevertheless, because of its relativeness plainness, it is at some risk of
being disregarded.

Listing NGR: SX7560591545

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26399971

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

• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)