Description

HARTLAND STOKE
SS 22 SW

3/190 Church House (previously listed as
Church Houses)

20.2.58

GV II*

Church house, subsequently divided into 2 cottages, now a single house. Probably
later C15 or early C16, altered C19 including some internal division and
refenestration. Coursed and squared rubble, C19 or C20 slate roof, end stacks, one
to left with a C19 brick shaft, one to right with a large rubble stack.
Plan: single room depth, 3 rooms on the ground floor; direct entry into the right
room which was the original kitchen with a gable-end stack with a large hearth. Th>
other 2 rooms were probably entered from the kitchen and may have been used for
secure storage of parish goods. In the C19 the kitchen was partially divided to
provide an entrance passage with a doorway at the rear, also a small straight-flight
staircase was provided to give access to the first floor; at the same time the
central room was given a rear lateral stack and hearth (now disused) and the end
room to the extreme left was given a gable-end stack. Original access to the first
floor was provided by a staircase on the gable-end in the kitchen, now blocked.
Also on the centre of the front, there is a stair-turret which provided external
access to the parish room which had 2 garderobes at the rear. The parish rood was
divided in tne C19 or early C20 to provide bedrooms and a passage running along the
rear of the house.
Exterior: 2 storeys, 2:1:2-windows, on the first floor a 2-light C19 casement with
horizontal glazing bars and a wooden lintol to the left, next to it a C18 casements
of 2-lights with square-paned facade lights, stone lintol and chamfered stone jambs
and cill of a C15 or C16 window; next window along is of 2-lights C19 casements with
horizontal glazing bars, stone lintol, jambs and cill of an earlier window next to
that on the right a 12-pane 2-light casement with wooden lintol. On the ground
floor 5 relieving arches, 3 C19 casements, 2 with horizontal glazing bars and one of
12-panes, 2 under the relieving arches and one under a wood lintol, blocked
relieving arch windows. Centre bay projects with stair turret with a lean-to roof
of slate; rough rubble plinth, 2 small window openings. Highest small and square
and set directly under the eaves, stone jambs and cill. Also a narrow semi-circular
head window to left. 4-pane casement under wooden lintol on ground floor. On side
of stair turret a blocked door opening with 5 stone steps up and iron handrail. 2
other door openings, that to right in a chamfered stone frame with a 4-centred arch-
head, plank door. Further door opening to left of ground floor, plank door in C19
wooden frame. Left return with blocked gable window in stone frame. Rear elevation
with 3 C19 sash windows and a casement; garderobe projecting with a lean-to slate
roof, a small semi-circular headed lancet in each end elevation, the ground floor
pierced through by a door opening with a plank door, probably C19. Gabled stair
projecting to left containing the blocked staircases rising from the kitchen.
Interior: ground floor with large blocked fireplace in the kitchen with a small
doorway to right in a semi-circular head surround which gives onto a former smoking-
chamber, the fireplace with a large wooden bressumer, presently obscured, also
presently obscured there is probably a bread oven. Central ground floor room with
remains of simple wooden cornice around the wall, C18 or C19 fireplace with a rough-
hewn bressumer. On the 1st floor 3 doorways in wooden frames with 4-centred arch
heads, 2 to the garderobes and one leading into the stair turret. Cavetto-moulded
cornice all around the walls, now part obscured by C19 and C20 division.
Roof: of 8 bays, straight principals resting on a wall-plate cranked mortised
collar and mortised ridge, 2 rows of threaded purlisn, C19 roof set over.
This is a particularly good example of a Devon Church House retaining many early
features but internally and externally relatively little altered. It is situated in
a very prominent roadside position.

Listing NGR: SS2358324673

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536516

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)