Coombe Farmhouse

Details

ASHTON SX 88 SE 6/3 Coombe Farmhouse 22.7.87 II Former farmhouse. Circa early C16 origins, remodelled in the circa early C17, 2 rear wings probably late C17 or C18; 1970s or 80s extension and alterations. Whitewashed rendered cob and stone; thatched roof with plain ridge, gabled at ends of main block, hipped at end of rear right wing; rear left wing corrugated iron, gabled at end. Axial stack and projecting truncated right end stack to main block, projecting end stack to rear left wing. Plan: In origin a 3 room and through passage late medieval open hall house, probably open from end to end (lower end to the right) and floored in 2 phases: the lower end first, jettying into the hall and providing a pair of ground floor service rooms with a chamber over. The hall and inner room were floored later with the hall stack inserted backing on to the passage; narrow, unheated inner room. A 1 room plan rear wing, at right angles to the hall is probably a late C17 parlour and a large rear right wing, at right angles to the lower end, was formerly a hay barn. The area between these wings has been roofed over and extended by a C20 lean-to; C20 addition at left end of main range. There are some oddities of detail: the carpentry of the lower end is similar to the hall and the internal jetty may be integral with the open hall (no access to roofspace over lower end at time of survey - 1986). Exterior: 2 storeys. Long asymmetrical 1 plus 4 window front (1 window to C20 addition at the left end); eaves thatch eyebrowed over the 4 right hand windows. Gabled thatched porch to through passage to right of centre, buttress at extreme right. 2 and 3-light C19 small pane timber casements except ground floor left (in new extension) which is C20. The right return consists of the gable end of the main block and the former haybarn; small pane timber casements except ground floor left, lighting lower end of main range which is a C17 timber ovolo-moulded mullioned window, mullions replaced, frame intact. A 2-light chamfered timber mullioned window, probably C17 has been re-sited in the C20 rear lean-to and originated in the former hay barn. Interior: Good survival of C16 and C17 carpentry. The cross passage has a square- headed chamfered C17 rear doorframe and a fine plank and muntin screen to the lower end with deeply chamfered scratch-moulded stopped muntins and 2 doorframes leading into the 2 lower end service rooms: the front service room has scratch-moulded joists. The hall chimney breast, backing on to the higher end wall of the passage has a granite cornice. The hall/inner room partition has been removed in the 1970s or 80s: the hall has a chamfered axial beam, scratch-moulded joists, a jetty with moulded joists adjacent to the stack and an open fireplace with granite jambs, a scroll-stopped lintel and a bread oven. A recess next to the stack contains a cream oven, the recess has a timber lintel rebated for a door and may be a former stair turret or walk-in curing chamber. The rear left wing is fairly plain with an open fireplace with timber lintel. Roof: An incomplete late medieval smoke-blackened roof of jointed cruck construction survives over part of the hall and apparently extends over the lower end (access to roofspace restricted). The medieval roof survives below a later roof and clearly extended further over the hall and inner room (truncated ridge). The jointed crucks are side-pegged and the principals morticed at the apex with a diagonally-set ridge, some sooted rafters survive. An evolved traditional house of late medieval origins,with many surviving features.

Listing NGR: SX8578384290

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

85524

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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