Description

HOCKWORTHY HOCKWORTHY ST 01 NW 4/83 Court Hall Farmhouse - 5.4.66 GV II* Farmnouse, former court hall. Dated 1659, possibly earlier core, refurbisned in the late C18, some mid C19 modernisation. Plastered stone rubble with some Hamstone detail; stone rubble stacks with plastered chimneyshafts of C19 brick; slate roof, probably thatch originally. Plan: F-plan house. The main block faces south-east. It has a 4-room-and-through- passage plan. At the left (south-west) end the inner room parlour or drawing room has a gable-end stack. The hall or dining room has a large axial stack backing onto the wide passage. Below the passage is the kitchen which nas a large axial stack backing onto the small right end room. The right end gable-end stack serves the first floor chamber. 2-storey front porch. 2-room plan service wing projects at right angles to rear of the right end and the rear room here (a bakehouse) has a projecting gable-end stack, and there is a service stair turret in the angle of the main and rear blocks. The main stairblock projects to rear at the upper end of the hall. Alongside it, and blocking the rear of the passage is a late C18 1-room plan rear block projecting at right angles and with a rear diagonal corner stack. Apart from this addition the whole house appears to date from 1659. It is tempting to suggest that the main block derives from an earlier open hall house but there is no physical evidence of this. The house is 2 storeys with attics in the roofspace. Exterior: not quite symmetrical 2:1:2-window front. The 2-window sections either side of the porch contain mid C19 tripartite sashes, the 2 ground floor ones left of centre have central 18-pane sashes whereas the others have central 12-pane sashes, and all include a top tier of Gothic glazing bars. The gabled porch has a plain elliptical outer arch. Above it is the Hamstone date plaque which is inscribed WS 1659. Above this is a C19 oculus window with glazing bars and in the gable the moulded surround of an original Hamstone window (now blocked). The gable coping and apex finial (identical to that at nearby Stallenge Thorne Farmhouse (q.v) is original. The passage front doorway is also original; it has a slightly cambered head, moulded surround and carved stops and contains a contemporary studded plank door. The main roof and rear block roofs are gable-ended. The right end and rear includes a number of original Hamstone windows with ovolo-moulded mullions and hoodmoulds, the main stair block with its complete compliment. Other windows are C18 and C19 timber casements, several containing rectangular panes of leaded glass. Late C18 lead rainwater head to gutter in angle of main stairblock and secondary rear block. Interior: much of the C17 carpentry and other detail has been hidden by the C18 and C19 modernisations but the original layout is well-preserved and enough original works show to prove that these modernisations were essentially superficial. No ceiling beams are exposed. However some of the secondary work is of high quality. For instance the parlour shows only Georgian features; a moulded plaster cornice, marble chimneypiece and ornamental plaster overmantle featuring Apollo in his chariot flanked by garlands. The hall also has a Georgian plaster cornice but here the fireplace is exposed; it is Hamstone ashlar with a moulded Tudor arch and sunken spandrels. In the passage the moulded plaster cornice is earlier in character than the others; it could be C17. The kitchen fireplace is large, built of stone rubble with an oak lintel which is ogee-moulded with scroll stops. The broad main stair rises around a solid wall. The first floor includes an couple of-original ovolo- moulded and scroll-stopped oak doorframes. The roof structure dates from 1659 and is carried on a series of tie beam trusses with threaded purlins. If there are collars then they are very high and hidden above the attic ceiling. This is a very attractive house although more Somerset than Devon in character. It has many stuctural similarities with nearby Stallenge Thorne Farmhouse (q.v) which is dated 1675.

Listing NGR: ST0377319455

External Links

• Wikidata Q17548214

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Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover