Description

COMBE RALEIGH SY 10 SE

6/112 Ellishayes Farmhouse

22.2.55

II

Farmhouse. Circa early C17 with substantial late C20 alterations. Stone rubble; slate roof, gabled at ends; 2 axial stacks, left end stack, rear lateral stack. Plan: Overall U plan, a single depth main range, 4 rooms wide with an approximately central 2-storey porch into the cross passage. High quality features at both ends of the house: to the left of the passage a heated room, stack backing on to passage with 2 service rooms at the left end (the left end stack is probably secondary). The right hand end of the range consists of a small heated room (not seen at time of survey), and an extremely large high quality parlour, lit by large transomed window in the right end wall. The rear right wing is a converted agricultural building, the rear left wing may have been a service wing. Extensive C20 alterations have included some re-partitioning at the left end and a replacement stair rising against the rear right wall with access from the cross passage. Exterior: 2 storeys; built across the slope of the land giving 3 storeys at the right end. Impressive, almost symmetrical 4 window front with regular fenestration and a 2 storey gabled porch in the centre with a coped gable with a finial and a moulded Tudor arched arch doorframe with carved spandrels, the jambs and lintel with shallow carving. Fine timber inner door, panelled, with studs with a good doorframe, the datestone over the outer doorway now illegible but said to be 1620s (old list description). Good set of C17 ovolo-moulded mullioned windows, 3-light to the porch, otherwise 4-light, the 2 ground floor windows to the right of the porch with hoodmoulds. The right return of the main range, which has an extra room below the ground floor with a blocked 3-light mullioned window, has a fine 6-light transomed ground floor window with a king mullion and a hoodmould; 4-light mullioned first floor window above. Interior: In spite of C20 alterations a number of interesting features survive. The ground floor right hand room has a good moulded ashlar Beerstone chimney-piece with splayed jambs to the lateral stack. Round the right end window the remains of a plaster frieze of winged horses survives and there is an ornamental plaster ceiling to the window recess. It is likely that this room had one of the "fine plaster ceilings" taken down before 1950 (old list description). The first floor room above also has a good stone fireplace, the remains of decorated plasterwork, including shields, on the right end wall and C17 ovolo-moulded stopped timber doorframe. The left side partition of the cross passage has a timber chamfered doorframe with a Tudor arch. The room to the left has been re-partitioned but retains exposed ceiling beams, a fine plank and muntin screen with ovolo-moulded muntins to the rear and another similar screen to the left including a good doorframe and door which now leads into a stair cell to the rear left. The front left room has a blocked C17 doorframe on its rear wall, it was originally only accessible from the room behind it. The axial stack has been altered but may retain its original lintel and jambs. Roof: C20 replacement. According to Polwhele Ellishayes was "sold .... to Hugh Crossing, alderman of Exeter, whose only son Francis built there a good house, called Ellis's; fit for a free heart to entertain his friends", (The History of Devonshire (first edn. 1793), p. 329.

Listing NGR: ST1565603613

External Links

• Wikidata Q26570149

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Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair