Description

WOODLEIGH PRESTON
SX 75 SW
2/124
Preston Farmhouse
26.1.67
II
Farmhouse. Late C16 or early C17, later modifications including C18 or C19
added wing. Rubble, slate roofs, some corrugated asbestos-cement to wing. A
cross-passage plan, now one heated room each side but probably formerly two
rooms to right, one replaced in later rebuild; stair turret off kitchen, 2-
storey porch, byre or outbuilding at left end. In 3 storeys, break-in roof-line
to right or porch at fireplace backing on cross-passage. Ground floor has plain
wall corresponding with outbuilding and fireplace, 5-light late casement to wide
inner splay, small 2-light; right of porch two 3-light casements, one of these
to set-back end of wing, but under same roof slope. At first floor a half-gable
with small 3-light C18 glazing bar casement, late 3-light in porch, C20 2-light
in robing dormer, and 3-light to very slight raking dormer in set-back section.
Left of porch beyond half gable two rows of pigeon openings, and a very small
square light set to eaves, far left, above with arched outer doorway, with
garage doors with vossoirs to porch on two stone steps to inner part-glazed
door; small slit in porch wall each side, that to right covered by extended wall
to parlour. Left gate plain. Back has gabled turret with square light at upper
level, small half-dormer to right, above lean-to (not of special interest); left
of stair turret a casement at each level and external door. Return wing has two
2-light at each level. Right return to plain gable, and casements in wing.
Large rubble stacks with characteristic truncated pyramidal cappings, left on
ridge to kitchen and smoking chamber, and at junction right of porch. Small
brick stack to right gable. Interior: at one stage said to have been in 3
cottages. Stone flagged cross passage has to left, a wide, part-blocked doorway
with heavy chamfered frame, with steps down to large kitchen, now with early
cement screeded floor, very large bressummer fireplace, with bread oven, and a
further unexplained chamber in the back wall. To the right of this fireplace is
a lofty chamber with pointed dome formed by oversailing flat slabs, accessible
from the byre side; this looks like a smoking chamber, but there is no sign of
smoke blackening. Kitchen ceiling has no visible structural beams. Plank door
to stair. Room right of passage is raised as steps, necessitated by ground
slope, has wide fireplace with brick segmental lintol, replacing bressummer, on
stone cheeks. No beams visible. Staircase has 2 steps in kitchen, then wood
spiral in turret. No special features visible in upstairs room; roof inspected
in part; at lower end has 3-pairs of heavy principals with collars to halved
dovetail. Upper end much restructured, includes 3 pairs of less heavy princi-
pals. An unusual element in the plan is the projection of the parlour, right of
cross passage, with its outer wall brought flush with the front wall of the
porch; this is likely to be an addition to the original plan, but cannot be
explained internally. An important building, probably concealing further
evidence in plastered ground floor ceilings.

Listing NGR: SX7434851654

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26610658

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

• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover