Description

LUPPITT ST 10 SE 10/47 Lower Shelvin Farmhouse - - II Farmhouse. Probably late C15 - early C16 with major later C16 and C17 improvements, renovated in the late C19 at which time the service/kitchen end was rebuilt. The older part is plastered local stone and flint rubble, the late C19 section is exposed stone rubble with brick dressings; stone rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate roof, the older part was formerly thatch. Plan and development: 4-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south-east. The service end is at the left (south-west) end and contains a kitchen with an axial stack backing onto a small unheated dairy at the end. The other side of the passage is the hall and it has an axial stack backing onto the passage. A stair turret projects to rear of the hall. At the right (north-east) end is a former parlour (now a workshop) with a gable-end stack. The service end kitchen and dairy was completely rebuilt in the late C19 but the rest is well-preserved. The roof was not available for inspection at the time of this survey although the owner claims that it is smoke-blackened proving that the hall at least was open to the roof and heated by an open hearth fire. The hall stack was probably inserted in the mid-late C16. The parlour was refurbished or added in the early C17. The parlour and hall were once separated by a buttery or cellar but the partition between hall and buttery/cellar has been removed to enlarge the hall. The hall was floored over in the mid C17. 2 storeys. Exterior: irregular 5-window front of late C19 and C20 casements with glazing bars and including, ground floor right end (to the former parlour), an early C17 Beerstone 4-light windows with ovolo-moulded mullions and hoodmould. The passage front doorway is left of centre and contains a late C19 door behind a contemporary gabled porch. The main roof is gable-ended and steps down from the kitchen to the passage sections. Interior: the service end, below the passage and containing the kitchen and dairy, is a complete late C19 rebuild. The hall fireplace is blocked but is probably intact. The crossbeams here are mid C17, chamfered with bar run-out stops, in the hall section proper whilst half beams in the former buttery/cellar are chamfered with roll stops. The stair to rear of the hall is mid C17. It is a straight flight with turned oak balusters. In the former parlour the crossbeams are plastered over. Here there is a good Beerstone ashlar fireplace with Tudor arch head, moulded surround and carved fern-like spandrels. The roof was not available for inspection at the time of this survey but the farmer's description suggests that the original roof structure survives and that it is some form of cruck construction maybe with arch braces and windbraces. It is also said to be smoke-blackened from the original open hearth fire. Lower Shelvin is an interesting multi-phase farmhouse with consistently high quality features. A full internal examination, including the roof, will probably throw more light on the early historic development of the farmhouse.

Listing NGR: ST1608504559

External Links

• Wikidata Q26440679

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