Description

BISHOPS TAWTON
SS 52 NE
10/7 Great Fisherton Farmhouse
including outbuilding adjoining
9.3.53 to south-west

II

Farmhouse. C16/C17 with possibly earlier fabric concealed. Whitewashed rendered
facade, stone rubble and some cob. Slate roofs with gable ends. Main range T-
shaped on plan with C17 right-angled dairy projecting to rear with additional wing
formerly part of dwelling and cider house, but now used for storage projecting at
right-angles from the lower front end of the main range. Main range itself
formerly 3-room through-passage plan but with front through-passage doorway
infilled and doorway moved to enter the hall. Room to right of through-passage
sited at upper end appears to have been intended always as a parlour, the room
adjoining the hall being the service end. The end was extended by the addition of
a further room in the C17 providing access to the wing which has 2 rooms on each
floor. Main range has hall stack backing onto former through-passage with brick
shaft. Twin diagonally set brick shafts to stack at right end and stone rubble
stack at left end with drip and tapered cap.
2 storeys. 4-window range of C19/C20 casements, all 2-light casements except
second from left, which is 3-lights. Ground floor has all 3-light casements except
for 2-light window inserted in former through-passage doorway. Slate canopy to
rear through-passage doorway. 3-light chamfered timber, mullion window to east
side of dairy with stone hoodmould. 2-light timber mullion window at lower gable
end of main range.
The wing appears to be of 2 builds with a straight joint towards the centre. Front
left side has loft door above a timber chamfered mullion window formerly of 4-light
window with mullions replaced to right of infilled doorway with timber lintel.
Right side has pigeon holes with slate landings below eaves level flanking small
chamfered mullion window surround with stanchions and wooden shutters above a 4-
light timber mullion window with chamfered surround. To rear there is a 2-light
square-headed mullion window above a small timber window of 2 pointed arched
lights.
Interior: stop-chamfered beams to room at lower end. Fireplace covered in. The
rear doorway at this end has an old plank door complete with drawbar. Winder
staircast to its right has been removed, but the main winder staircase survives to
rear of hall. Hall has 4 ovolo-moulded ceiling beams. C17 ovolo-moulded surround
to doorway inserted in through-passage. Parlour has stone chimneypiece with
chamfered and stopped surround. Part of a C17 plasterwork strapwork cornice is
concealed by late C18 cupboard joinery and possibly more of it survives though
covered over. The chamber immediately over the parlour has a similar cornice but
with blank shields in foliated surrounds to 3 sides of room with pair of angel
wings, one of which has been replaced to the overmantel of the identical
chimneypiece. Chamfered and scroll stopped surround to old door with cover strips
at head of stairs. Main range has 6 trusses arranged 3-2-1 from upper end with
solid wall partitions between the 3 sections. Principals have short curved feet,
slightly cranked collars tenoned into soffit mortices to the principals. 2 tiers
of purlins, trenched at lower end, threaded at upper end. Diagonally set ridge
purlin. Dairy projection has similar roof construction but with straight collar.
The entire roof structure appears to be of one date and there is no evidence of
smoke-blackening. The wing has a 4-centred arched doorway with chamfered surround
to left of rear entrance. Inner end has old timber staircase and chamfered and
keel stopped beams. 2 raised cruck trusses with 2 tiers of purlins and slightly
cranked collars. The right side has a C17 door surround with jambs hollowed out to
admit cider barrels to base of projecting rear stair turret with winder stone
stairway. Part of the roof has been replaced over this section, with straight
principals to the 3 trusses. Two trusses resting on short timber wall plates
formerly with slightly trenched purlins. Small infilled doorway at the gable end
with ventilation slit to right.

Listing NGR: SS5747527957

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26401520

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)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings