Description

WOOLFARDISWORTHY WEST TOWN
SS 32 SW

5/220 Hammetts
-

- II

House formerly farmhouse. Circa late C15 altered probably in 1653 and modernised in
late C20. Rendered stone rubble walls, possibly incorporating some cob. Gable-ended
asbestos slate roof. Brick stack at left gable-end. Large C17 coursed squared
rubble axial stack with dripmoulds and tapering cap.
Plan: originally probably 2-room-and-through-passage plan, lower end to the left.
Built as an open hall house with central hearth, divided only by low partitions.
The house appears to have remained open to the roof until 1653 - a date in the
plasterwork of the hall - when it was floored and a stack inserted into the hall
backing onto the passage. A high quality chamber was created above it. The lower
room fireplace is probably coeval although since altered. Evidently the lower room
had a more functional purpose than the hall which became more of a hall/parlour. At
the rear of the hall is a winder staircase in a projection and adjoining integral
dairy at its higher end which are both part of the 1653 remodelling. In the later
C20 the hall was subdivided and a passage created to its rear, a detached shippon
adjoining the lower room was converted and a small linking range built.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4-window front of late C20 2-light small-paned
casments apart from a small earlier C20 leaded-light casement at centre on 1st
floor. The 2 ground floor windows to the right have C17 stone hoodmoulds over them.
To left of centre is probably original chamfered stone doorway with segmental arch
and diagonal stops. C20 plank door with glazed panel. At left-hand end is short
connecting range with converted shippon projecting from end of it. At rear left-
hand part of house projects for staircase with a further projection for dairy at
left-hand end.
Interior: lower room has chamfered and unstopped cross beam. Replaced lintel to
open fireplace which has cloam oven in side. Room to right of passage, formerly
hall, has fireplace with ovolo-moulded and ogee-stopped lintel. On the end wall of
the room beyond is a moulded plaster cornice with the date 1653 and initials PPIH.
At the centre is a small plaster shield and to either side are plaster fleurnus.
Stone winder stairs in projection at rear around solid core. There is only a thin
partition between stairs and adjoining dairy. 1st floor fireplace over hall also
has ovolo-moulded wooden lintel with fillet and ogee stops. In the roof-space there
is evidence that there was formerly a plaster barrel ceiling over the 1st floor
chamber at the higher end.
Roof: one original roof truss survives just to the higher side of the hall stack
apparently with curved feet which are now boxed in. The truss is of heavy scantling
with mortices for a removed collar and a small yoke at the apex which the principals
extend slightly above to clasp the ridge. A little below a C17 collar has been
halved on with dovetail joints and there is a similar collar lower down. The
original timbers are smoke-blackened; 1 other truss at the higher end has a lapped
crossed apex and is probably later C17. C20 trusses over the lower end and rafters
throughout.
This house preserves some good quality C17 features and an interesting development
of plan whilst also retaining evidence of its earlier origins.

Listing NGR: SS3274621297

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26595302

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

• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)