Description

MERTON
SS 51 SW
11/139 Greatwood Farmhouse
-
II

Farmhouse. Circa mid to later C17 with C19 additions and alteration. Stone rubble
walls. Gable ended slate roof. Rubble rear lateral stack and one at right gable
end:
Plan: 3 room and through passage plan but lower room to right appears always to have
been parlour, hall probably also functioned as a kitchen with rear lateral fireplace
and inner room was unheated service room. The front door opens directly against a
straight run staircase with the through passage to the left of it - it is possible
that this unusual arrangement may be original but it seems more likely to be the
result of C19 modifications. 2 C19 outshuts added at rear.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 5 window front of wooden mullion ovolo-moulded
windows - 3-light on first floor 4-light below. To all appearances these seem to be
C17 but it is possible that they have restored in the C19. The only exception is an
C18 3-light leaded pane casement to left of centre on first floor. First floor
windows have wooden hoodmoulds over with decorative labels. Stone hoodmoulds over
ground floor windows. The window over the porch is blocked but still has its
hoodmould. C19 gabled stone porch with segmental arch, behind it is C19 plank door
in probably C17 double ovolo-moulded wooden doorframe.
Interior: No early features visible apart from in the right-hand ground floor room
which has a good later C17 decorative plaster ceiling consisting of central oval
trailing vine garland with ribbed panels in corners and a bold cornice of acanthus
leaves. There are the remains of a plaster overmantle of which the central device
has been removed leaving a pilaster to each side and cornice above. Other features
may have been concealed by C19 modernization.
This is an interesting example of an apparently single phase mid-later C17 house with
a slight variation on the conventional plan form and preserving a very traditional
appearance.

Listing NGR: SS5472012877

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26612064

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

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)