Description

SHERFORD
SX 74 NE
3/68 Malston Barton
26.1.67
G.V. II

Farmhouse. C15 altered and extended in C17 and heavily remodelled in late C19 or
early C20. Slatestone rubble walls, rendered at the front. Hipped slate roof.
Brick lateral stack at the front and brick axial stack. At left end is brick
stack on projecting rubble base.
Plan: L-shaped plan. The front range has a wide through passage at its right-
hand end, 2 rooms to the left with an axial passage running behind them to the
large room at the end. The wing behind this was possibly originally 1 room but is
now 2 with a staircase. The original plan is difficult to interpret but
presumably the house has been truncated at the right-hand end since it is unusual
to have a passage at the end of a house. The rest of the house has been very milch
remodelled and it may not contain much medieval fabric so even speculating about
the form of the medieval house is difficult; since what survives is sited
downhill from the passage it might have been the original lower end and it is
possible that the house might have originally formed a courtyard plan with more
than one wing. The first discernible remodelling of the house was in the early -
mid C17 when the room at the left-hand end was used as a kitchen, judging from its
very wide fireplace. Between it and the passage was probably 1 room which may
have been used as a hall since it has a stack backing onto the passage but it is
not certain that this is an early stack. The rear wing is also at least Cl7 and
probably served a service function since it has no fireplace on the ground floor.
In the later C19 or early C20 further alterations took place. the central room
was subdivided and had a passage inserted at its rear and the 1st floor plan was
probably altered.
Exterior: 2 storeys with basement to rear wing. Asymmetrical 4-window front of
late C19 2 end 3-light mainly small-paned casements. To left of centre on ground
floor is a late C19 or early C20 4-pane sash. Along the centre of the house is a
shallow C20 glazed porch which also lights the right-hand room. At right-hand end
the wall projects slightly and on the ground floor is a fine tall C15 4-centred
richly moulded arch - possibly of Beerstone. On the rear elevation of the house
to the left is e similar opposing arch which is considerably more eroded and has
an arched hoodmould above. C19 2-light casement above it. To right of centre is
a tall smell-paned stairlight which was renewed in the late C20. The wing
projects from the right-hand end and has a plank door in the corner. On its
ground floor is a 3-light C19 small-paned window with 2 smaller casements above.
On the other side of the wing the ground level drops and there is a door to the
basement.
Interior: passage has stone-flagged floor. Just inside its front doorway in the
left-hand wall is a C15 2-centred hollow chamfered arch which is now blocked. The
left-hand end room has a very wide blocked fireplace with chamfered wooden lintel.
The room in the rear wing has C17 chamfered and step-stopped ceiling beams. In
the room over is a C17 fireplace with ovolo-moulded wooden lintel and dressed
stone jambs. On the 1st floor are several C18 fielded 2-panel doors. No evidence
of early roof timbers on 1st floor and according to owner the timbers are very
rough, likely to date from the C19.

Listing NGR: SX7724445125

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26610521

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

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings