Description

SAMPFORD PEVERELL ST 01 NW 4/138 Middle Pitt Farmhouse - - II

Farmhouse, now used as 2 cottages. Early C17, probably earlier core, late C17 - early C18 modernisation, C19 extension, modernised in mid C20 when divided into cottages. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; stone rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate roof, formerly thatch. Plan and development: originally a 5-room-and-through-passage plan house. Facing south and built down a gentle hillslope. Uphill, at the right (east) end, is the inner room parlour which has a projecting gable-end stack. The hall has an axial stack backing onto the former passage. Below (left of) the passage the first service end room room has a projecting rear lateral stack. This or the hall served as the kitchen in the C17. Below that service room is a small unheated room, probably a dairy originally, end, at the left end another unheated room. This was probably some kind of agricultural store. There is an unheated 1-room plan extension at right angles to the main block to rear of the inner room parlour. It is a C19 extension. The farmhouse appears to be a single phase building although its through-passage layout suggests earlier origins. The house, including the hall, was probably floored from the beginning. The left end room, the former store, is also part of the original house. There is an unusually high ceiling here and it may well have been open to the roof originally. There was, until the mid C20, a newel stair turret projecting to rear of the hall close by the passage. Now the farmhouse is 2 cottages. The right (east) one occupies the hall, parlour and rear extension. The left (west) one occupies the former passage (now blocked to rear), and service end rooms. Both cottages are 2 storeys. Exterior: overall irregular 5-window front of mid C20 casements with no glazing bars. The passage front doorway is roughly central and now contains a C20 door and contemporary porch. The right cottage has a C20 doorway inserted into the hall and the left cottage has a doorway into the end room; both contain C20 doors. The roof is gable-ended stopping down from the right cottage to the left. The walls show how they were raised to accommodate the lower pitch of the replacement slate roof. Interior: part of an oak plank-and-muntin screen is exposed in the left cottage between the dairy and heated service end room. Both these rooms have soffit- chamfered and step-stopped beams; the service end room has a crossbeam, and the dairy an axial beam with one end cut through for the present stair. The service end fireplace is blocked but part of its soffit-chamfered oak lintel is exposed. There are in the chambers above in this left cottage a couple of late C17 - early C18 fielded 2-panel doors. Other early features are probably hidden behind later plaster. The right (east) cottage occupies the original principal rooms and the C17 carpentry detail is of higher quality. The partition between hall and parlour is a tall oak plank-and-muntin screen. The muntins of this screen and the crossbeams in hall and parlour have the same finish; they are chamfered with bar run-out stops. The large hall fireplace is stone rubble with a soffit-chamfered and step-stopped oak lintel (there is a miniature version in the chamber above). The parlour fireplace oak lintel has a chamfered low Tudor arch. The chamber above includes a blocked 2-light oak-framed window with chamfered mullion. The roof structure of the main block is original from end to end and is carried on a series of side-pegged jointed cruck trusses. All are clean.

Listing NGR: ST0335416095

External Links

• Wikidata Q26400291

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