Description

SX 68 NE CHAGFORD

3/58 North Hill Farmhouse
20.2.52
- II

House, former Dartmoor longhouse. Late C16-early C17, thoroughly refurbished with
extension circa 1930. Walls of plastered granite except the porch which is built of
dressed granite blocks of various sizes; granite stacks with granite ashlar chimney
shafts; slate roof.
Plan and development: L-shaped house. The main block is built down a slope and it
faces south. It has a 3-room-and-through-passage longhouse plan. The inner room
parlour is terraced into the slope at the uphill left (west) end and has an end stack
with a newel stair alongside. The hall has an axial stack backing onto the passage
and a disused newel stair in the rear wall. Circa 1930 the inner room was enlarged
at the expense of the hall. The rear of the through-passage was blocked by a dairy,
maybe an original feature. Late C16-early C17. 2-storey porch in front of passage.
The shippon was converted to domestic use circa 1930 and has a rear lateral stack of
that date. At the same time a rear block was built at right angles to rear of the
inner room and it contains the present main stair and 2 service rooms with an axial
stack between. Since the roof has been replaced it is not now possible to establish
the sequence of historic development. The hall was probably open to the roof
originally. Now 2 storeys throughout.
Exterior: regular 2:1:1 window front of circa 1930 casements containing rectangular
panes of leaded glass. In fact the windows are built with mullions moulded to look
C17 in style. The porch is gabled and has a 2-centred outer arch with chamfered
surround. It is probably late C16-early C17. Front passage doorway contains C20
door. Similar fenestration around the rest of the house and the first floor windows
to rear are gabled half dormers. Both blocks are gable-ended.
Interior of main block is largely original in the original domestic section. The
hall has a large granite fireplace with a chamfered surround. The housing of the
side oven projects into the passage. There is an oak crank-headed doorframe to the
disused stair turret and another similar but much-mended doorframe alongside the
fireplace to a blocked doorway to the passage or former dairy. At the upper end of
the hall there is an oak plank-and-muntin screen under a soffit-chamfered crossbeam.
It has chamfered muntins with step stops and includes another crank-headed doorframe.
Set here the screen makes the hall unusually small and the inner room large. It
seems likely that it has been moved. In the inner room there is a boxed in beam or
RSJ which is thought to mark the original position of the screen. The fireplace in
the inner room is also granite with a chamfered surround. Alongside there is a stone
round-headed doorway to the newel stair which has stone treads. The crossbeam here
has shallow soffit chamfers. The former shippon was much rebuilt circa 1930. The
open fireplace is of that date, so too are the crossbeams. The roof too was replaced
at the same time.

Listing NGR: SX6769687471

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26400082

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2