Description

BURRINGTON

SS 61 NW

5/9 East Pavington Farmhouse
-

- II

Farmhouse. Probably early C16, remodelled and extended at left end in C17, lower
end rebuilt in late C18, with C20 internal alterations.
Painted rendered stone rubble and cob. Right gable end unrendered. Thatch roof
with gable ends to main range, C17 extension at left end has corrugated iron roof to
front, asbestos slate roof to rear. Tall front lateral rendered hall stack with
offsets. Brick stack at right gable end and rendered stone rubble stack with
tapered cap at left end.
Plan: Basically 3-room and through-passage plan, lower end to right, with added
range of single room plan at left end which is recessed slightly. Interesting plan
development. Originally the hall and relatively narrow inner room were open to the
roof, the inner room probably being ceiled first with an apparent internal jetty
into the hall. Possibly at the same time as the ceiling over of the hall, the
recessed range of 1-room plan was added in the C17, at the higher left gable end.
This may originally have been intended for use as a heated parlour, the upper storey
being used as a wool chamber; the trap door through which the bales were hoisted
still functions and must be an exceptionally rare survival. The former inner room,
between the hall and this added range, was consequently released from its usual
function and served until the late C20 as a salting-house. The lower end, to judge
by a straight joint to the right of the through-passage and the roof structure, was
entirely rebuilt, possibly in 1778 according to the date plaque at the right gable
end. Its new use appears to have been as a relatively large parlour, the added
range at the upper end being reduced to a storage room and possibly a kitchen,
although both the inserted hall stack and the stack to this added range incorporate
bread ovens. The original position of the stairs is unclear, although the evidence
of the jetty beam suggests a ladder arrangement at the rear of the hall. The
principal straight-run staircase runs up to the right of the through-passage
encroaching on the lower end, and a second staircase runs up from back to front on
the inner room side of the hall-inner room partition, entering the hall at the upper
end.
2 storeys. Main range has 4-window range. Principally C19 fenestration, 3-light
casements, 3 panes per light. Ground floor lower end has C19 2-light casement 6
panes per light to right of C20 door to through-passage doorway. The added range
retains its original fenestration with a 2-light casement with rectangular leaded
panes over a similar 3-light window, the outer lights retaining rectangular panes,
the centre light replaced in C19 with 2-paned window. Slate plaque at right gable
end with incised decoration and inscription 'Elizabeth Pridham/1778/My cousins all
when you see/Remember me'. C19 outshut to rear of hall butting into single storey
gable-ended service wing, the 2 remaining sides of the L-shape enclosed by pantile-
capped walls to form small rear courtyard.
Interior: Hall retains single cross ceiling beam, positioned over the upper end of
the hall fireplace lintel. Its moulding profile is interesting having a straight
chamfer to its upper side terminating in hollow step stops, and on the side facing
the hall, a double roll moulding terminating at the front end in a large hollow step
stop carved as a single large leaf. The other end of the double roll moulding
terminates about 0.5 metres short of the rear wall, running out as a straight
chamfer. This feature strongly suggests the former presence of a ladder or narrow
staircase, and the different moulding on each side of the beam also points to its
former function as a jetty beam as a result of the primary ceiling over of the inner
room end. Chamfered timber hall fireplace lintel. Cloam oven with 2-handled door.
Rear of fireplace lined with bricks. Squint in right-hand jamb. The inner room
has no exposed features. The added range at the left end has an ovolo-moulded
fireplace lintel, cross ceiling beam with wide chamfer, original joists and trapdoor
facility in the rear right-hand corner. Single chamfered cross-ceiling beam to
lower end. Rear through-passage doorway appears to retain cased in C17 jambs.
Roof structure over wool chamber entirely replaced in C20 except for single heavy
purlin on front side. Over the hall and inner room are 2 raised cruck trusses, the
feet entirely boxed in but said to be no evidence of jointed crucks. These
originally carried a diagonally set threaded ridge and 2 tiers of threaded purlins.
Above these, and resting on the backs of the original principals, are 2 further
trusses. The original 2 trusses and the roof structure over the hall are thoroughly
smoke-blackened, with signs of smoke-blackening on the gable end wall of the inner
room, but the superimposed trusses are clean suggesting the hall roof was simply
'jacked-up' when the hall was ceiled. 3 C18 pegged trusses with straight principals
and waney rafters over lower end.
This is an interesting example of a late medieval farmhouse with a complex
subsequent history of phased developement. The added range at the upper end is an
unusual and remarkably intact survival.

Listing NGR: SS6260216718

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26504091

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

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)