Trethevy Farmhouse, St. Cleer, Cornwall

Description

ST CLEER
SX 26 NE
11/73 Trethevy Farmhouse
-
GV II *
Farmhouse. Late C16 - early C17; large addition of late C19 and few later
alterations. Granite rubble with granite dressings. Bitumenised slate roof with
ridge tiles, some hand made crested ridge tiles surviving, and gable ends; Gable end
stack to right and axial stack to left, both in granite with cornice and shaped top.
Plan: This is the hall, cross passage and lower end room of a formerly larger house;
the rear wall of a former inner room survives, the room itself contained within the
C19 rebuilding. The lower end room to right is heated by gable end stack, with
unusually large pair of ovens to left. Probably in early C19 a winder stair was
inserted in the rear of the room. The passage is a cross passage, with no evidence
of a door to rear, and the house is built close into the bank at the rear; probably
in later C17 or C18, the rear of the passage was partitioned off to form a small
unheated dairy with ventilator to left of the door. The hall is to left, heated by
the axial stack backing on to the passage, and with a stair tower of the original
build to the rear of the room. The stair tower is now blocked off and inaccessible,
but is unusually wide, and may contain a closet at ground floor level. In circa late
C19, the upper end room was demolished except for the rear wall, and a large 2-storey
addition built at the upper left end. This has a principal room projecting to front
in a gabled wing, with stack to right side, central stair hall and rear left wing of
one-room plan with rear stack. Probably also circa C19 a stable was attached to the
front of the lower end room.
Exterior: the early building is of 2 storeys, with the passage and lower end room at
lower roof level to right; asymmetrical 2-window front. The lower end has a door
with glazed panel and granite lintel replacing the ground floor window, small 2-light
casement at first floor. Rendered granite porch to the front of the passage, with
pitched roof; inner 4-centred arched granite doorway, chamfered with step stops,
plain C19 door with re-used wooden-cased lock on the inside. Attached to the front
of the lower end, a stable of single storey and loft, doorway with timber lintel on
the inner side, front gable end with window and ventilation slit above. Single
storey lean-to at outer side. The hall has paired C19 2-light casement to front
ground floor with granite lintels, first floor 2-light casement with raking dormer.
At the rear, the lower end room has a 2-light casement with granite lintel at ground
floor. The rear of the passage has a ground floor 3-pane light with slate drip
stone; no evidence of rear door. Wall stepped back to the upper end, with wide stair
tower with pitched roof; this has a 4-pane light at lower level, possibly lighting a
closet under the stair, and a 6-pane light to side. The wall is continuous into the
C19 addition to right, incorporating the rear wall of the original upper end room
into the C19 build.
The C19 addition is 2-storey, pebbledashed; the front gabled wing has square bay at
ground floor with 2-light casements, and two 2-light casements at first floor; the
right side of the wing has external stack and 2-light casement at ground and first
floor. There is a gabled bay to left of the wing, with 3-light casement at ground
floor and 2-light casement at first floor. Left side has porch set in the angle to
the rear room, which has 2-light casement at ground and first floor and stack to
left.
Interior: There is a chamfered wooden lintel over the front door, and over the door
to left into the hall; the doorway into the hall is in granite, with 4-centred arch,
chamfered with triangular stops, pintles remaing from early door. The fireplace to
the axial stack is concealed, as is the entrance to rear to the stair tower. There
are 3 very heavy cross beams, with deep chamfer, bar and scroll stops; the central
beam is supported on a granite pier of C19 which forms the mullion for the front
window. The rear of the passage is partitioned with a ventilator, forming a small
dairy with slate floor and slate shelves. There are 2 steps down to the lower end
room, which also has a slate floor, and 3 very heavy roughly chamfered cross beams.
The fireplace has a very heavy, slightly cambered granite lintel, late C19 oven
inserted to right, and with pot jack remaining. To left, there are 2 ovens, one
larger; the larger one is about one metre in diameter, both with domed interiors,
lined with granite, and with arched openings with stone rere-arches; there is a heavy
granite lintel across the access to the ovens. C19 winder stair to rear right.
Roof: The chamber over the lower end is ceiled, and the roof is not accessible. The
roof over the hall is of 3 bays, the principal rafters not chamfered, lapped and
pegged at the apices, with cambered collars notched and dovetailed, pegged. Trenched
purlins and diagonal ridge purlin, replaced in C19. There is a solid wall to the
lower, including the file of the axial stack.
Although the upper end of this house has gone, the plan of the original building is
clear, and remains substantially intact; the roof over the lower end is probably also
of the original build. Trethevy Farmhouse is slightly earlier in date than Trethevy
Cottage (q.v.) which is close, and they have similar features; the concealed hall
fireplace may be similar to the hall fireplace at Trethevy Cottage, if it remains in
situ.

Listing NGR: SX2410170711

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

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Trethevy Farmhouse

A Grade II* Listed Building in St. Cleer, Cornwall

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Description

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