Description

SX 74 SE SHERFORD
Keynedon Farmhouse including
6/66 secondary range immediately to the
West. ( Formerly seperately listed. )
26.1.67 (Secondary Range only)
25.10.51 (Keynedon only) II*

GV

Farmhouse. C15 remodelled apparently in early C16 and with some C17 work. Much of
the walls are constructed of coursed and dressed slate stone rubble, also with
some more random rubble. Slate roofs. Several early stone chimney stacks
including a very large stepped stack at the south end of the front range.
Plan: Lack of access prevents a full interpretation of the plan, but a general
outline can be given. The house is built around a narrow courtyard in 2 main
ranges and with a larger walled forecourt at the front (qv). The front range has
a C17 porch in front of a wide through passage. To the right of this passage, at
the north end, are the kitchen and service rooms. Above them is a range of
chambers reached only from a newel stair at this end of the house. To the left of
the passage is a room which was probably the original hall, set on a cellar, which
became a parlour in the C17. At the opposite side of a narrow courtyard to the
West is a long service range incorporating a bakehouse and brewhouse and with
chambers above.
Exterior: 2 storey asymmetrical front of mainly C20 casement windows. To the
left of centre is a large single storey C17 porch with rubble arch at the front
and re-using 2 C15 2 centred arched doorways on either side. The ground drops at
the left-hand end of the house and the porch is reached by a short flight of stone
steps. There is a basement underneath the left-hand end of the house with a
window with iron stanchion bars. On the northern, right-hand end wall of this
range is a 4-light C16 granite mullion window with 4-centred heeds, On the rear
elevation of this range a modern flue towards the northern end partially blocks a
similar 2-light C16 window. The rear doorway has a granite segmental arched
doorframe with carved spandrels. This abuts a newel stair projection with a
dovecote in the top. The parallel rear courtyard range has a series of C15 or C16
windows with shouldered heads and iron stanchion bars. Roundarched chamfered
doorway with a draw bar to the door. On the west of this range is a small
garderobe projection. Lower C16 addition at the south end has a granite arched
doorway and small blocked lights in the gable.
Interior: Room to left of passage has good panelling of circa 1630 and a Gibbs
type chimney piece of circa 1730. The kitchen at the right-hand end of this range
may have a series of moulded timbers and there is a good arched doorway in a room
to the south of it. In the rear range the bakehouse has a massive open fireplace
with stone oven. There is an old wooden doorframe in the north wall and 2 similar
doorframes with segmental heads above. A second room to the north on the 1st
floor has a small oak framed door, rebated in the inner side, which leads to a
garderobe.
This is one of the earliest farmhouses in this part of Devon and a very unusual
survival of a medieval courtyard plan house, still retaining much of its early
layout and features.
Access to it was very limited at the time of survey and most of the information on
it has been taken from the notes of Dr. E.A. Gee, who visited the house in 1980.

Listing NGR: SX7747143295

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17533341

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.

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