Description

HALWELL SX75SE 9/321 Farmstone Farmhouse

II

Farmhouse. Circa early C17, remodelled and extended in circa mid C18 and restored and extended again in the late C20. Slate rubble; limestone rubble C20 extensions. Welsh slate roofs with gabled ends; the roof over the high right hand end has a lower pitch. Large rendered stone rubble axial stack and stone rubble stack at either gable end. Plan: 3-room and through passage plan, the lower end to the left. The hall heated from an axial stack backing on to the passage which has a large 2 storey porch on the front. The inner room to the right and the chamber above are heated from a gable end stack. The lower end room was the kitchen with a gabled projection at the back, like a short wing, containing a large lateral fireplace with a very large oven, large smoking chamber and an integral newel staircase; a second oven was inserted later. The house was removelled in circa mid C18 when the lower end was extended, possibly as a parlour, a parallel 2 storey wing containing the kitchen was built at the back of the hall. It was either at this time or soon afterwards that the higher end of the house was relegated to use as a farm building, the eaves were raised, new openings inserted and an external loft stairs added to the front. A single storey outshut, possibly the dairy, was added to the rear of the lower end extension, probably in the C19. In the late C20 the house was extensively restored, the entire roof was replaced, a parallel range was added at the back of the high end in the angle with the kitchen wing; the kitchen wing was extended at the back and the lower end rear outshut was raised to 2 storeys; the higher end of the house was brought back into domestic use and fine moulded ceiling beams from a house in north Devon were reused in the hall. Exterior: 2 storeys. Long asymmetrical 6-window range. C20 2 and 3- light casements with glazing bars. C20 timber lintels, slate drip moulds and cills. Small gable over front of lower left hand end. Stone steps up to first floor doorway to right. To the left of centre a fine gabled 2- storey porch with a chamfered round arch doorway with dressed slate voussoirs; the first floor above slightly projects on a chamfered slate wall plate. Inside the porch are benches made from the roof principals; the inner doorway has an ovolo moulded timber lintel and a C20 door. In the gable of the porch a lead Sun insurance plaque. The higher right hand gable end has pigeon holes with slate ledges. Rear elevation: Pair of gables to the right; the left hand gable contains the stack, smoking chamber, oven and newel stairs, the right hand gable was built in the late C20 over a lean-to outshut. To the left of the passage doorway the kitchn wing has a C20 gable added to the back and a C20 flat roof porch in the space behind the passage rear doorway. To the left of the kitchen a C20 extension projects beyond the higher end of the house with a parallel gable-ended roof. Interior: A screen has been removed from the lower side of the passage and replaced by C17 panelling from another house. The lower left end room has a large kitchen fireplace, its timber lintel a replacement; to the right of the fireplace the entrance fo a large smoking chamber, to the left of which is a very large oven, both with corbelled stone roofs, that of the oven has been removed when it was converted into a lavatory. There is a later brick-lined oven which has been inserted into the left of the fireplace to the left of which is an integral stone newel staircase. The hall has a large axial fireplace backing onto the passage with a chamfered timber lintel with butt stops, a stone rubble jamb to the left and a monolithic jamb to the right; there is no oven. Reused from a house in north Devon the hall has intersec-ting moulded ceiling beams and chamfered joists; some of the joist stops and one of the beams have fern leaf decoration. The chamber over the inner room has a gable end fireplace with chamfered timber lintel with mutilated stops on shaped wooden corbels. Roof has been entirely replaced in the late C20 but photographs taken during the restoration show principals with dovetail lap jointed collars and threaded purlins and over the hall a raised cruck truss, part of one blade of which is stored in an outbuilding. In the possession of the owner a copy of page from the Sun Insurance ledger shows that Nicholas Jackson insured his new house and barns for £200 in 1762. This date probably refers to the remodelling.

Listing NGR: SX7769352721

External Links

• Wikidata Q26577282

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