Description

WERRINGTON
SX 38 NW
9/283 Radford
11.2.88
GV II*

House, now farmhouse. Probably C15 with early C17 alterations and extensions. Stone
rubble and cob. Rag slate roof with gable and hipped ends. Some early crested ridge
tiles. Stone rubble axial, end and lateral stacks.
Plan: Courtyard plan with main range on south comprising 3 room and through passage
plan, the lower end to left (east) heated by a rear lateral stack, the hall to right
of centre heated by a rear lateral stack and the inner room beyond to right (west),
heated by an end stack. The circa late C16 or early C17 wing to front right (north-
west) is of one-room plan heated by an end stack and the wing to front left (north-
east) appears to be a later C17 or C18 extension and is unheated. The wall on the
north side, to front, encloses the courtyard, with a central C17 entrance (qv
entrance to courtyard and flanking walls to north of Radford).
The chronological development of the house is uncertain and only part of the roof
structure was accessible. The hall it appears was open to the roof, the lower end
possibly ceiled from the beginning and it is uncertain whether the inner room was
ceiled. The lower end is heated by a rear lateral stack with a newel stair adjoining
the stack providing access to the chamber above. The doorframes from the passage to
the lower end and to the stair projection are of Medieval character and are probably
C16. The cross wall on the lower side of the passage continues up to the apex.
The roof structure above the hall was not accessible and it is uncertain whether the
hall was originally heated by an open hearth. The cross wall on the higher side of
the passage may be a later C16 replacement of a hall screen; probably altered when a
small chamber was inserted above the passage and jettied into the hall. The thinner
partition above the putative jetty continues up to the apex of the roof. The hall
fireplace was covered over in the C20 and it is uncertain whether it is an insertion.
In the late C16 or early C17 a hall bay was added, adjoining the projecting for the
hall stack, probably coeval with the flooring of the hall. However, the tenants
noted that when the hall floor joists were exposed briefly in the 1970s the floor
structure was made of forked branches of a tree with the date '1511' inscribed on one
of the branches. It is probable that the roof structure above the hall and inner
room was raised when the hall's floor was inserted and an axial stack inserted in the
cross wall between the inner room and hall to heat the chamber above the hall. The
wing to the front of the inner room was probably added at this time and a stair
projection added to the front of the hall; the high quality carving of the door
frames from the stair projecting to the first floor chambers suggesting an early to
mid C17 date. The inner room was panelled probably in the late C17 or early C18 and
the bolection moulded chimney-pieces in two of the chambers suggests that there were
other similar alterations. The unheated wing to front of the lower end is probably
Cl8, possibly on the site of an earlier wing. The wing to front right was partly
rebuilt in the C20.
Exterior: Two storeys. North elevation fac?- courtyard with wings to front right
and left and three storey stair projection to right of centre, in angle with front
right hand wing. Asymmetrical 2:1 window front. Entrance to left of centre with C19
door with ovolo moulded timber lintel and slate hood above. C19 2-light casement to
left and C20 window to right with C17 ovolo moulded timber lintel. The roof levels
vary with a lower roof over the lower end and passage and raised roof above hall and
inner room. To the front of the hall on the right a gabled 3-storey stair projection
with C17 ovolo-moulded lintels to the window openings; unglazed small 2-light timber
mullion window on ground floor. C19 3-light casement to first and one-light casement
in partly blocked opening lighting the attic. The 2-storey wing to front right has
been partly rebuilt in the C20 with C20 fenestration. The 2-storey wing to front
Left has a C19 2-light casement in the side wall and plank double door in the end
with pigeon holes above. The left hand side elevation of this wing has several
altered openings with a C17 unglazed 3-light timber mullion window lighting the upper
floor. The left hand (lower) gable end of the main range is constructed of
particularly fine masonry with slate galetting. South elevation of 2-storeys.
Asymmetrical 2 window front with double gable end to left and lower roof over passage
and lower end to right. Entrance to right of centre with C17 moulded door frame with
ornate vase stops and slate hood above. To right of the entrance is a stair
projection with narrow slit openings and adjoining projecting lateral stack which
heats the lower end. The shaft of the stack was partly rebuilt in the mid C20. To
the left is the projecting lateral hall stack with gabled 2-storey hall bay adjoining
on the higher (left hand) side and 2-storey gabled end to the inner room beyond.
There are two C19 24-pane sashes on the ground floor with moulded slate string above
and two C19 16-pane sashes which light the chambers above the inner room and hall.
Interior: Wide through passage with early rounded timber arched doorframe on lower
side with C17 door with moulded cover strips. The lower end has heavy chamfered
floor joists with deep straight cut stops. Part of the deeply chamfered lintel to
the fireplace is visible and the adjoining entrance to the stone newel stair has an
early rounded arch which is rebated for a door. There is a similar rounded arched
door frame above. C17 moulded doorframe to hall with high quality carved vase stops.
The hall has a high plastered ceiling and the putative jetty is plastered over. C20
hall fireplace with small piece of the slate lintel visible decoratively carved with
heraldic arms. The inner room has complete late C17 or early C18 raised and fielded
panelling with a circa C18 simple marble chimney-piece and heavy C18 moulded cornice.
The doorframe from the early to mid C17 stair projection is moulded and ornately
stopped on both faces and there is a small cupboard on the ground floor of the
projection with early butterfly hinges. The C17 stair has been partly remodelled and
reset but retains the original turned newels, turned balustered and thin deep moulded
rail. On the first floor the door frames to the chambers above the hall, inner room
and front right hand wing are moulded and ornately stopped being coeval with the
stair. Some circa late C17 or early C18 panelling has been reset at the top of the
stair. The third flight of the stair which leads from the hall chamber to the attic
has been blocked and the moulded C17 doorframe, which survives intact, has been
wallpapered over.
The roof was largely inaccessible at time of survey. The trusses above the hall,
inner room and front right hand wing are heavy and appear to have deeply trenched or
threaded purlins. The trusses above the lower end appear morticed at the apices with
halved, lap-jointed and pegged cambered, chamfered collars and deeply trenched and
threaded purlins.
In a list of "Papists and delinquents" residing in North Devon in 1646, the Royalist,
Capt. Thomas Eastcot of Radford was marked as "notorious".
Peter, Otto The Manor and Park of Herrington, 1906.

Listing NGR: SX3180988998

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17534381

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.

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