Description

NORTH MOLTON SS 73 SW 10/114 Great Combshead Farmhouse and - outbuildings adjoining to south east (or Combes Head Farmhouse) II Farmhouse. Early to mid-C17, altered and enlarged in the mid to late C19. Rendered over stone rubble, with some cob to rear. Partly rebuilt and enlarged in uncoursed stone rubble with red-brick dressings to openings. Gable-ended scantle-slate roofs. Outbuildings of rubble and cob, with gable-ended slate and corrugated asbestos roofs. Stone stacks, that to rear of dressed stone, with C19 red brick shafts. Plan and development: Three room and cross-passage plan, facing south-east. Ground falls to left. Consisting of hall with external lateral stack to rear, former cross passage, possibly formerly through passage (recess in rear wall at foot of stairs might be blocked rear doorway), to left and service room (present kitchen) beyond with integral brick end stack and former inner room to right with integral end stack. Staircase inserted in cross passage, probably in the C19, approached from rear. C19 alterations included rebuilding of left-hand gable end and addition of parlour wing at right angles to front of service room, with external lateral stack to left. Wall dividing hall and right-hand ground-floor room removed, probably some time in the C20. The parlour wing appears to be C19 (see window details etc.) but could be a C19 remodelling and refronting of an earlier wing (see suggestion of straight joint to left-hand return front. C17 chamfered beam in line of front wall of service room might have been former spine beam, relocated when wing added. Cottage possibly latterly divided (see evidence of former staircase in right-hand room). Two storeys. Exterior: Asymmetrically-fenestrated front; two first-floor late C19 three-light wooden casements to right, 2 small C20 casements to left, and 2 ground-floor late C19 three-light wooden casements to right. C19 half-glazed four-panelled cross-passage door to left. Wing to left with plinth. Gable end to front has C19 three light wooden casement to each floor, each with brick segmental-arched head. Right-hand return front with segmental headed 3-light wooden casement to each floor and left- hand return front with first-floor C19 two-light wooden casement to left of stack and C20 half-glazed door below in C19 segmental headed opening. Left-hand gable end with C19 or C20 two-light segmental-headed wooden casements to each floor. Stack to rear of hall has slate roofed lean-to bread oven to right. One storey outbuilding adjoining at right angles to front of right-hand end, the left-hand end forming lobby to door of house. Left-hand return with C20 two-light casement and boarded door to left and C19 two-light wooden window to right with wooden lintel. C19 stable adjoining to right with loft door, ground-floor window to left and 2 segmental headed boarded doors to right. Interior: Former hall and inner room have C17 chamfered cross beams and half beams (partition wall between rooms has been removed) with scroll stops. Open C17 hall fireplace with dressed-stone jambs, chamfered wooden lintel with runout stops, C19 mantelshelf and bread oven to left with C19 segmental brick arch and cast-iron door. C17 open fireplace to inner room with dressed sandstone jambs, chamfered wooden lintel with runout stops and bread oven with C19 brick arch and cast-iron door. Chamfered beam between kitchen and parlour wing, possibly relocated. C19 stair with chamfered beam at foot. Recess in rear wall at foot of stairs, possibly blocked former rear through-passage doorway. C19 oak door with 2 raised and fielded panels in first-floor room of front wing C17 roof over main range. Also known as Coombes Head Farmhouse.

Listing NGR: SS7289230888

External Links

• Wikidata Q26508942

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Recommended Books

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  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
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  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments