Description

DUNSFORD
SX 89 SW

3/19 Scottishill Farmhouse

- II

Farmhouse. Probably early C16 origins, remodelling and extension of the C17,
possibly in 2 phases. Whitewashed cob on stone rubble footings, rendered to the
front, plastered to the rear, right gable end wall stone rubble, corrugated iron and
asbestos roof, formerly thatched, ½ hipped at ends, end stacks, axial stack.
The present plan is 4-rooms wide and single-depth, the lower end to the left, the
centre left room is the hall heated by the axial stack, the right-hand room heated by
a massive stack running the entire width of the house, the left-hand room heated by a
stack that may have been inserted in the C19. The medieval plan may have been an
open hall with a through passage of low screens and a low screen dividing the inner
room from the hall. In the C17 the hall was ceiled over and a cob stack inserted,
backing on to the passage, giving a 3-room plan with an unheated inner room and
possibly an unheated lower end. The right-hand room, adjoining the inner room
appears to be a C17 addition and has been used as a kitchen.
2 storeys. Asymmetrical 3+1-window front, the right-hand end slightly set back and
with a separate entrance to the left. The front door, at the right-hand of the 3-
window block probably marks the front entrance to the former through passage (opposed
rear door blocked). Fenestration of C20 2-light casements, 6 panes per light, except
for one 3-light first floor window. Bee-boles at ground and first floor level of
front to right.
Interior C16 and C17 features survive. An oak plank and muntin screen between the
hall and inner room has chamfered muntins on the hall side stopped off at former hall
bench level. C17 open fireplace to the hall has granite and freestone jambs and a
chamfered lintel with step stops. Hall cross beam has a roll moulding and post dates
the screen which has an additional muntin at the junction. The ground floor room
right has 1 massive chamfered cross beam with step stops: a similar, slightly lower
beam about 2m from the end wall is the fireplace lintel to a massive hearth which is
the width of the house, a C19 brick bread oven has been inserted in the right-hand
end of the fireplace, which may originally have been divided between a hearth and a
smoking chamber. On the first floor the room above the hall has a canted plastered
ceiling with some remains of a moulded cornice, a chamfered stopped doorwy leads into
the room over the inner room. The first floor partition walls of the 3 left-hand
rooms correspond to the roof trusses which may be jointed crucks: the truss over the
right-hand room appears to be a jointed cruck.
Roof: The roof timbers, including battens and some remains of thatch, are heavily
smoke-blackened over the left-hand 3 rooms i.e. over the entire length of the
original house, with a closed truss at the right-hand end. Straight collars are
mortised into the principal rafters which are mortised at the apex with a threaded
ridge, 2 tiers of purlins. Some of the rafters and the ridge are broken and there
has been some extra support from C20 timbers. Beyond the closed truss the roof
timbers appear not to be smoke-blackened.
A sympathetically-restored house of medieval origins with a fine C17 kitchen.

Listing NGR: SX8155891099

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26576933

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

• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)