Higher Wotton Farmhouse

Details

SX 79 NE
5/71

COLEBROOKE
Higher Wotton Farmhouse

II

Farmhouse. Mid-late C16 with C17 improvements and extension, modernised and
extended in late C19. Plastered cob on rubble footings; stone rubble stacks, one
with original stone chimney shaft and others with C19 brick tops; asbestos-tile
roof (formerly thatch).
3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south with inner roan at left (west)
end. Late C17 rear block at right angles behind hall and inner room and Cl9
extension to service room. 2 storeys.
Irregular 6-window front of different-sized but contemporary early C20 large-pane
casements with glazing bars. Hall and inner roan at left end has regular 3-window
arrangement of large casements and those on first floor have gables rising from
eaves over. Passage has early C20 partly-glazed front door with contemporary
monopitch and asbestos-tile roofed hood on curving brackets. The C19 extension has
a secondary door with a large C20 open-sided porch with gabled and asbestos-tile
roof. Roof is gable-ended to left and hipped to right. Original volcanic ashlar
chimney shaft with coping to hall stack. The roof and eaves drops down twice from
left to right. Rear block has a C19 first floor casement with glazing bars on
inner side and its roof has hipped end.
Interior features are mostly result of C19 superficial modernisation. The original
plan is intact and many C16 and C17 features undoubtedly survive under later
plaster. All the fireplaces for instance are blocked and the large-framed
crosswalls at either end of hall can be seen in the roof space. Hall fireplace is
blocked but its granite jamb is partly exposed in a cupboard to the left. Another
cupboard to the right contains the remains of stairs from the hall to the passage
chamber which must have jettied into the open hall alongside the chimney breast. A
round-headed alcove in rear wall may be the blocked door to a projecting newel
stair turret (now replaced by a straight flight stair) and there is a similar
round-headed arch on first floor from stair head to the inner room chamber. Hall
was floored in mid C17 with a soffit-chamfered and bar-runout stopped crossbeam.
No early features show in inner room. Service room has late C17-early C18 plain-
chamfered crossbeam. Fireplace here is blocked but its oven projection can be seen
in Cl9 extension. Rear block has late C17 cross beam, soffit-chamfered with
straight cut stops. C16 roof intact over passage, hall, and inner room, comprising
side-pegged jointed cruck trusses. Either end of hall are large-framed closed
trusses with hazel wattling showing in places and open truss over hall has cambered
collar. Probably early C18 A-frame truss over service roan has pegged lap-jointed
collar and X-apex.
A plaster plaque is said to have been removed from over the front passage door
within living memory. It was apparently dated 1715. Higher Wotton is a distinct
medieval estate.
Source. Devon SMR

Listing NGR: SX7695897977

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

96584

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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