Details
LANDRAKE WITH SCHOOL LANE, Landrake
SX 36 SE ST ERNEY
3/36 Lowertown House
23.1.68 II*
Farmhouse, now house. Probably late C16-early C17 origin, extended in the later C17.
Remodelled circa 1740, with alterations of the mid C19 and some C20 alterations.
Slatestone rubble. Hipped roof with front slope in asbestos slates, the rest in
slate with ridge tiles, some early C18 hand made ridge tiles remaining on rear left
stair wing; brick stacks to sides and brick rear lateral stack; some brick dressings.
Attached scullery/wash house in rubble with slurried slate roof with gable ends and
crested ridge tiles, formerly with gable end stack.
Plan: the development of the house is in 5 main phases, with minor intermediate
alterations. The original house of the late C16 or early C17 was of 3-room plan,
with 2 rooms to left of passage and lower end room to right. The room to right is
heated by gable end stack, central room by rear lateral stack and end left room by
gable end stack. The second window from the right at ground floor may be the
position of the original front entrance, altered by the C18 rebuilding; the curved
wall to the rear left of the main range may indicate an early stair site. In the
second phase, probably in the later C17, a rear outshut of 2-room plan, of one storey
with attic, was added to the rear of the 2 rooms to right. In this, the room to rear
right became the kitchen, replacing the kitchen in the front room to right; the later
C17 kitchen has a rear stack which forms a gable end to this room, and had a pigeon
loft at first floor. The room added to left is an unheated dairy with loft over,
entered from the kitchen. Probably at this time, a late C17 stair hall was inserted
in the front room to right. In the third phase, a 2-storey addition was made to the
rear of the room to left; this was a cow-house at ground floor (adjacent to the
dairy) with loft over. In the fourth phase, of circa 1740, a symmetrical facade was
created; to achieve this, the front wall of the 2 rooms to left was brought forward,
and the end left wall was rebuilt. A stair tower was built to the rear of the room
to left, involving the partial demolition of the cow house, which remained to the
rear of the stair tower. The house was raised in height and re-roofed, to create 2
storeys and attic, possibly originally lit by dormer windows. At this time, a single
storey scullery/wash house was built to the rear right, close to the back kitchen
door, and heated by a gable end stack. The interior of the house was considerably
remodelled, with panelling. In the fifth phase, of the mid C19, the roof over the
main range appears to have been rebuilt, retaining the C18 trusses, but at slightly
lower level and removing the windows. The central room in the front range was
remodelled as a dining room, with larger window to front, new door and fireplace.
Exterior: 2 storeys, symmetrical 5 window front with 1 bay set back to right; windows
of late C18 or C19. Ground floor has central C20 porch with hipped roof, C19
panelled and glazed door with overlight; to left, two 12-pane sashes in exposed boxes
with concrete lintels, and to right a 12-pane sash with sidelights and timber lintel
and a 12-pane sash in exposed box with concrete lintel. First floor has five 12-pane
sashes in exposed boxes with brick segmental heads. The end bay to right has a
higher wall level to top; at ground floor a 12-pane sash with concrete lintel, at
first floor an C18 2-light casement of 6 panes with L hinges and slate cill, similar
smaller 2-light casement at second floor. C19 bracketed eaves with 2 C20 roof
lights. The left side has a small single storey rubble addition, partially removed.
The stack is stepped, with a slate string course and brick shaft. To the rear of
the wall of the main front range, the original wall thickness projects in a curve,
possibly an early stair site. To the left, the stair wing of the C18, with a cellar
door of C20, at first floor an C18 2-light casement of 10 panes with L hinges and
brick segmental head, similar casement at second floor. To left, the outhouse,
reduced in height from 2 storeys to one storey and shallow loft, open to roof level
inside; in the rear of the stair tower, a blocked doorway formerly giving access to
the upper level of the outhouse. The side of the outhouse has C20 door and 2 upper
C20 windows, hipped slate roof. The rear of the outhouse has C20 3-light window with
timber lintel and blocked window under eaves, the inner side has a C20 door. This
outhouse was the former late C17 cow house, and retains a cobbled floor with drainage
channel and drain hole. At the right side of the house, the main range has a large
stepped external stack with C18 brick shaft. Straight joint to right of the later
C17 outshut, of one storey with attic; at ground floor there is a plain door with
strap hinges and C20 window to right. First floor has C20 2-light casement and 3
rows of blocked pigeonholes above. Attached to the house by a C20 wall, a single
storey rubble C18 scullery/wash house, with C20 light and blocked window to front, 2
window openings to rear and door in gable end facing the house, outer gable end
formerly had stack. This has a slate floor and roof with halved and pegged
principals, pegged collars and one row of trenched purlins. Well remaining in floor,
formerly had a boiler. The rear of the house has a catslide roof over the late C17
outshut, and the brick shaft of an C18 chimney rising from the slope for the rear
lateral stack of the main range. To left, the kitchen has a projecting gable end
with rubble stack with brick shaft, 2-light C20 casement to right of stack. The
dairy, to the centre, has a single light with iron stanchions and 4-pane light with
leading. Also a 3-light casement with chamfered mullions and frame, with 4-pane
lights and leading. Above, a gabled and slate-hung dormer, probably of C18, with 2-
light casement with L hinges, 8 panes each light.
Interior: The front entrance hall has fielded panelling and dado panelling, moulded
cornice, round arch with imposts leading to rear stair hall. Room to front left has
fine 6-panelled shutters to windows and panelled window seats and soffits. The rear
wall has a pair of cupboards with round arches and shaped shelves. Ceiling has
moulded plaster oval. C20 fireplace. Room to front right of entrance hall has C19
6-panelled door, remodelled as mid C19 dining room; rear lateral fireplace has C19
cast iron grate and mantel. The stair hall has a 2-panelled door to right leading to
the dairy and a 2-panelled door to rear leading to the cow house, both in moulded
architraves. Dog-leg stair to lett, with plain handrail, closed string, fine turned
balusters with rounded knops, dado panelling to side. The stair rises with the same
balusters, to second floor level. In the front range, to the right of the dining
room, the late C17 stair hall; this has a dog-leg stair with shaped splat balusters,
probably also C18, rising to first floor, with a short flight to the attic, where
the stair is continued as a winder; plain panelling to side. The window to the front
of this stair hall was rebuilt in the 1940s, but the apron is cut back through the
thickness of the original wall, and may be the site of the original entrance. The
end right room has a front wall thickness of about one metre, much thicker than the
front walls of the other rooms, which were rebuilt in the early C18 phase. This room
has fielded panelling on the wall backing on to the C17 stair, plain shutters to
front window. The gable end fireplace is of C20, and has a recess in the wall to
left, probably originally for an oven when this room was the kitchen. At ground
floor in the front range, all the cross walls are panelled partitions, no masonry.
To the rear of the C17 stair hall and slightly to the right is a step down to a fine
C17 door, with raised moulded battens in a geometric pattern, with strap hinges,
probably resited, with the geometric side facing the interior of the house. The rear
wall is about 90 centimetres thick. To rear right, the later C17 kitchen has a slate
floor, at lower level than the front range; rear fireplace blocked. Early C18 2-
panelled door leading to the front right room. Roughly hewn axial beams to ceiling.
The dairy also has a slate floor and slate table; rear of the rear lateral stack from
the front range projecting into the room. At first floor, the front left room has
some of the moulded cornice remaining, as at ground floor; this room has a 2-panelled
door, and similar door to a cupboard in the rear wall, partition wall in fielded
panelling and panelled shutters to windows, C20 fireplace in end wall. The first
floor landing over the C18 stair has fielded dado panelling, and to the front a small
room with 2-panelled door, plain panelled walls and panelled shutters and window
seat. The central room has 2-panelled doors, fielded panelling and shutters to
windows, plain chimneypiece to rear lateral fireplace with blocked C19 grate. Pane
of glass in window with scratched inscription: Mary Boger 17 (41?). The front right
room has 2-panelled door; small room over the C17 stair hall with 2-panelled door and
plain panelled walls. The rear wall at first floor is about one metre thick. The
room over the kitchen, originally a pigeon loft, has an C18 6-panelled fielded door
with fleur de lys and half moon strap hinges; this is resited from the ground floor
dining room. The room over the dairy has been partitioned in the C20. To the rear,
between these 2 rooms, is a cupboard with a C17 door with raised moulded battens,
resited.
Roof: over the main range is of 7 bays, largely of C19 and C20 repair with some C18
trusses remaining. These have halved and pegged principals with collars and upper
collars bolted to the face of the principals, 2 rows of purlins. The walls are
plastered; these were formerly stud partitions dividing the attic rooms. The wall is
higher to the rear of the main range, with access directly from the C18 stair and
from the extended C17 stair.
Listing NGR: SX3733560506
