Description

LITTLE TORRINGTON
SS 51 NW
7/123 Woodland Farmhouse
4.10.60
GV II*

Farmhouse. Circa second half of the C15 with C17 modifications, extended in C19 and
altered in C20. Rendered stone rubble walls, exposed to front porch. Hipped
asbestos slate roof. 2 stone rubble axial stacks with dripcourses, the right-hand
one has a brick shaft.
Plan: Originally likely to have had 3 room and through passage plan, lower end to the
left although the partition between the passage and lower room has been removed. At
the date when the house was built it must have had an open hall probably with central
hearth but no direct evidence of this survives and the hall is presently heated by a
stack at its higher end. The date that the hall stack and ceiling were inserted is
unclear since the fireplace has been blocked and the ceiling beams are very plain -
it may be that the stack pre-dates the ceiling which could be quite late. At some
time probably in the 2nd half of the C17 a 2 storey porch was added at the front of
the passage. The inner room is unheated but the existance of a C16 doorway leading
into the chamber above it suggests that its ceiling might pre-date that of the hall.
The lower room has a stack in its end wall which is a C19 insertion. Beyond it is a
narrow room likely to have been added in the C19. A substantial C20 modernization
took place when the rear passage doorway was blocked, the partition between hall and
passage removed and staircase inserted at the rear of the lower room and passage. A
completely new roof was put on the house and the old timbers removed.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 5 window front of early - mid C20 3-light
casements. Central 2 storey porch with segmental arched rubble doorway which has C20
glazed and panelled door. Above is a much weathered coat of arms. The rear
elevation has mainly C20 windows apart from a C17 2-light chamfered wooden mullion on
first floor to left of centre and on early C19 16-pane sash below.
Interior: At front of passage is wide early C17 roll and hollow moulded wooden
doorframe with carve stops and contemporary studded oak door with fleur de lys
hinges. The square draw-bar holes survive both inside this door and the former rear
doorway to the passage. The most remarkable feature of the house is the wide C15
ogee headed wooden arched doorway into the hall which is decorated with a ¼ roll
moulding which has raised fleurons carved on it. The ceiling beams in the hall are
very plain and appear to be quite late. On the first floor is a C16 4-centred arched
wooden doorframe leading into the chamber over the inner room. In the room over the
hall, on the stack, is a plaster coat of arms of the Copplestone family with
strapwork surround and winged angel's heads to either side probably dating from the
early C17. The Copplestone family lived at Woodland from the C15 to the C18.
Despite internal alterations to this house the features it preserves are sufficiently
unusual and of a good enough quality to make it important.

Listing NGR: SS5039716854

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536736

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

• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)