Trefronick Old Farmhouse

Details

In the entry for:-

ST ALLEN SW 85 SW Trefronick Old Farmhouse 4/71 II

The list description shall be amended to read:-

Farmhouse, now a farm building. Probably C16, remodelled and extended probably later in C7 and with C19 allterations. Whitewashed killas rubble and some cob with dressed stone quoins. Grouted scantle slate roof largely reclad in corrugated iron, with half-hipped and gabled ends. Truncated lateral stack and gable end stack with short stone shaft. Plan and development: L-shaped on plan. The main range on an east-west axis facing north (probably originally south facing) is of 2 room and through passage plan. The relatively small lower right(west) end room is unheaed and the large hall to the left(east) has a lateral stack at the front; the partition between the hall and the passage has been removed. There is no dividing wall between the hall and the long wing behind the hall. This wing which has a gable end stack , is probably a Cl7 parlour addition because a probate inventory of 1640 mentions only a hall, kitchen and cellar. The room in the end of the wing was partitioned off later. In circa early C19 a stair tower was built in the angle of the main range and the rear wing and the external stairs at the rear of the lower end giving access to the loft above is probably also a C19 alteration. A doorway has been inserted into the right side of the hall's lateral stack and appears to have broken through a large oven or smoking chamber. In the C20 the house was abandoned and became a farm building , some of the ceilings and floors were removed and low concrete partitions were inserted. Exterior :- 2 storeys. Assymmetrical north front with large truncated lateral stack projecting on left, the right side of which has an inserted doorway. The main doorway to right of centre has waney timber lintel and C19 flush-panel door. Small casement windows to right and left of doorway and one above. The left hand (east) side has later doorways inserted on ground floor with C20 plank doors and 3 windows above, 2 blocked and 1 sash with glazing bars. At rear (south) C19 panelled door to left of centre with external stone stairs to left doorway to left and stair tower with catslide roof in angle of projecting wing on right which has C20 sash windows. The gable end of the wing has large later buttress. The west gable end of the main range has doorway with plank door. Interior:- mostly gutted for use as farm building but masonry wall partition between putative passage and lower end survives. The early C19 staircase has a stuck balustrade at the top. Some of the roof trusses have halfed and lapped collars but the roof structure has been largely reconstructed. The hall fireplace in the lateral stack has been blocked and its putative smoking chamber or oven has been destroyed by an inserted doorway. Some closely- spaced chamfered and thin ceiling beams remain in the main range. Historical note:- "Trefronnick, in St. Allen, is another winged house which,...... apparently had no parlour: an inventory of 1640, for Joan Martyn,widow,whose house it was, mentions only a hall,kitchen,cellar and other domestic roorns".(Chesher). Source: V.M. and F.J. Chesher, The Cornishman's House, page 36.

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ST ALLEN SW 85 SW 4/71 Trefronick Old Farmhouse

II

Farmhouse now animal penning and stores. C16-C17, with alterations in C19. Whitewashed killas, the upper floor partly in cob. Corrugated iron roof. Plan: 'L'-plan, comprising a main north-south range with large stack central to the west end, and an east-west range running west of the north end bay, and stair block in re-entrant angle. Opposed doors central to the east-west range, and a wide opening, perhaps original main door but now reduced in width, is placed on the east face of the heated corner room. A later entrance at the side of the stack is covered with a lean-to porch. Two storeys, Part of the north and east walls are in cob. The west end room is probably added, and has an external stone stair to the upper room. Windows on ground floor altered and blocked, but 3-light timber windows with diagonal timber saddle bars survive, blocked, to corner room and chamber over. Some C19 sash windows of various designs. Roof is of C19 Cornish type, the space above the wall plate blocked with cob. Interior: Altered to form animal stalling. Stair C19. Blocked fireplace to south gable, and main stack, with 3 square-cut offsets, also has fireplace blocked.

The house is that referred to in the probate inventory of Joan Martyn, widow, in 1640, containing hall, kitchen, cellar and service rooms. Reconciliation of the inventory with the structure is not obvious, but the corner room is probably the kitchen. The building is in poor condition at time of survey (January 1988) but is of considerable archaeological interest as being one of the very few substantially unaltered farmhouses for which documentary evidence survives.

A Cornish cross was found on the farm and was removed and re-erected in the churchyard. (q.v.) (Chesher, V.M. & F.S. 'The Cornishman's House'. p.86)

Listing NGR: SW8251551704

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

63910

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Chesher, V M, F J, , The Cornishmans House, (1968), 36

End of official list entry

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