Description

MORETONHAMPSTEAD COURT STREET (south side).
SX 7586
Moretonhampstead
9/112 The Court House
-
- II

House. Circa early to mid C17 with late C17 wing. Plastered granite rubble and
cob. Thatched roof with gabled ends. Rendered projecting gable end stacks with
thatch weathering and heightened in brick.
The west wing at front is the original house of 2 rooms and cross passage leading
to stair turret at rear, the larger right-hand room the parlour and the smaller
left-hand room the kitchen, both heated by gable end stacks. The partition on the
lower side of the passage and the newel stairs have been removed. In circa late
C17 a wing was added to the rear of the lower left-hand end, forming an overall L-
shaped plan, also with a gable end stack. A later leanto outshut in the angle at
the rear.
2 storeys throughout. North front: regular 3 window range, wider spread to right.
C19 2-light casements with glazing bars and crown glass. Doorway to left of centre
with C18 moulded doorcase and C18 fielded 6-panel door, top panels glazed. C19
glabeld porch with moulded architrave and segmental arch. Gable end of rear wing
set back to left with one window on each floor. Wing has 2 window range on left-
hand return, all C19 2-light casements with glazing bars and some crown glass.
Oven at lower end of main range projects in the angle with rear wing and has
granite weathering.
Interior: main range has complete C17 roof with straight principals, lapped, halved
and pegged collars, supplemented by nails. Morticed apices. Roof of wing roughly
made pegged roof probably late C17.
Main range has large kitchen fireplace in lower room with cambered arch with large
granite voussoirs, and 2 granite ovens. Fireplace in right-hand room, the
parlour, has chamfered timber lintel, the stops damaged with relieving arch above.
Both rooms have chamfered cross beams without stops. Partition on lower side of
passage removed. First floor right-hand higher end room has moulded plaster
cornices, double ovolo and bolection moulded chimneypiece.
Fielded 2-panel doors, one on ground floor and 3 on first floor. Two 4-panel
doors, the panels fielded, the 2 small centre panels side by side, set in moulded
doorframes. Panelled internal shutters to windows.
Doorway in wing with chamfered wooden doorframe with lozenge stops, leading to room
with chamfered ceiling beam and chamfered lintel over fireplace.
The Court Leet was held in this house until about 1847).
An interesting example of an early Cl7. 2-room plan house with a later C17 rear
wing. It is interesting that the kitchen is the smaller of the 2 rooms. The
exterior has been little altered since the C19 and in spite of some C20 alterations
to the interior there are many surviving interior features of high quality
including the unusual granite arched kitchen fireplace.

Listing NGR: SX7495585972

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26440074

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)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)