Description

SWIMBRIDGE EAST STOWFORD SS 62 NW 11/195 Stowford Farmhouse

GV II*

Farmhouse. Late C16 or early C17 with later C17 additions. Whitewashed rendered stone and cob. Slate roof hipped at left end, gable end to right. 2 tall lateral stone stacks to front with offsets and brick caps, heating hall and inner room. End-through-passage plan with lower end demolished. Twin parallel gable-ended adjoining wings to rear of 2 storeys with brick stack to the larger gable end towards centre of rear and lean-to stair turret on its west side. Demolished former axial stack with brick shaft heating chamber over hall. 2 storeys. 4 window range, mainly C19 fenestration, all 3-light casements except second from right which is 2-lights, 2 panes per light. Ground floor has three 3-light casements, that to left is 3 panes per light, those to right end have 10 panes per light, and 4-light hall casement, 3 panes per light. Plank door at left end with 3 paned overlight. Tall timber ovolo mullion window of 2 lights to east side of rear gable, 4 panes per light, the 2 lower panes forming casements. 2-light casement, 4 panes per light at gable end, above ovolo-moulded window surround of a former 4- light mullion window, with the left side cut out and enlarged and doorway inserted. To the rear, adjoining the rear through-passage doorway is a short rubble wall extending westwards with tiled capping. A doorway through the wall has fine ovolo- moulded timber surround with keel stops to the durns, possibly reset from the rear of the through-passage. Interior: Fine C17 features remarkably intact. Framed and ledged door with original latch to doorway from through-passage to hall with large bulbous stops to the ovolo-moulded surround. 2 ovolo-moulded beams to hall with possible carved leaf stops obscured by later plastering. Horizontal tongue and groove dado boarding to upper end of hall with integral settle. 2 ovolo-moulded door surrounds with scroll stops to the durns to rear of hall giving access to stair turret and kitchen wing, the latter with old plank door. Fine doorway to inner room with large bulbous stops to ovolo-moulded surround. Central beam and bressumers to inner room with elaborate multi-beaded moulding with carved leaf stops. Fine door surround to rear of inner room with 4-centred arch with leaf spandrels and fluted pilasters supporting pediment carved with Tudor Rose and strapwork ornamentation. Roughly chamfered beam to kitchen extension, but fine ovolo-moulded door surround to dairy with large bulbous stops to the durns. A second staircase from the kitchen has a chamfered door surround at the head with scroll-stopped durns. The majority of original plank doors survive to the upper storey. Principal chamber to right now divided has plasterwork frieze at each end with fine plasterwork overmantel to former fireplace depicting the sacrifice of Isaac with 4 heads around the strapwork cartouche, large rosettes in the frieze and naturalistic moulding with rampant beasts along the base of the overmantle. Doorway to chamber at head of principal stairs has bulbous stops to the ovolo-moulded surround and further scroll-stopped chamfered durns to the rear passage doorways. Chamber to rear wing has similar doorway, with part of plain moulded plaster cornice surviving to 2 sides of the room. Above this room is a collar rafter roof which could not be closely inspected. The parallel rear wing to the centre has a single C17 truss with threaded purlins and ridge purlin with morticed and tenoned collar. The roofspace to the main range is divided by a solid cob partition between the hall and inner room rising to the apex of the roof. Over the hall are 2 trusses with straight principals, trenched purlins and lap-jointed collars, all of slightly rougher construction than the single truss over the inner room with threaded purlins and ridge purlin. No signs of smoke blackening.

Listing NGR: SS6324826703

External Links

• Wikidata Q17532375

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Recommended Books

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)