Description

SAMPFORD COURTENAY
SX 69 NW
8/125 Ball Farmhouse
II

Farmhouse. Probably early C16, heavily remodelled and extended in circa early-mid
C17. Plastered cob and rubble walls. Gable ended thatch roof. Brick stack at left
gable end, and rendered axial stack offset from ridge; rear wing has gable end
projecting granite stack with tapering cap.
Plan: Probably originated as 3-room-and-through-passage plan, hall open to the roof
with central hearth. In the circa early-mid C17 a heavy remodelling took place
either at the time that the hall was floored and its axial stack inserted or else
slightly later. This remodelling divided the hall into 2 small rooms, the higher
one an unheated dairy and created a large parlour at the higher end, possibly
extending the house slightly. At the same time or slightly later a rear kitchen
wing was added behind the passage. At an indeterminate date the lower room was
demolished, or much reduced and now consists of a basically 1-storey unheated room,
extended slightly in the C20.
Exterior: 2 storeys. The roof-line drops over the right-hand part of the house,
which is 1 storey. Asymmetrical 2-window front, 5 windows to ground floor. Circa
mid-late C20 1-light casements to right-hand part. To left-hand part on ground
floor are circa early C20 2-light small-paned casements. On first floor is 1 light
C20 casement to the right and late C20 small semi-circular bay window to left
supported on a bracket. The rear elevation has large wing projecting to left and
Cl9 small-paned casements on the back wall.
Interior: at the lower side of the passage is the remains of a plank and muntin
screen with chamfered muntins. The room to the higher side of the passage has a
fireplace with high chamfered wooden lintel and granite jambs. 2 axial beams with
roll mouldings. The parlour has a similar fireplace which has had a cloam oven
inserted into it. Large fireplace with chamfered wooden lintel in rear kitchen. It
also has chamfered cross beams.
Roof: over the hall of main range are 2 original trusses which may be jointed
crucks, 1 of which appears to be slightly smoke-blackened. Its collar is probably a
replacement. The rear wing has a C17 truss with slightly curved feet and dovetail
halved collar.
This is an interesting example of a C16 house heavily remodelled in the C17 to
create a quite different plan from the original.

Listing NGR: SX6260695894

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26611949

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)