Paize Farmhouse

Details

SAMPFORD COURTENAY SS 60 SW 5/153 Paize Farmhouse GV II

Farmhouse. Circa late C15, possibly remodelled in C16 and remodelled again and extended probably in the Cl7, subdivided in C19 and reduced, reunited and refurbished in the late C20. Rendered cob walls. Gable-ended thatch roof. Brick stack at left gable end and granite. axial stack with dripcourse. Plan and Development: the existing plan is 2 rooms and a central through- passage, the kitchen at the lower left end is heated from a gable end stack and the hall to the right has a fireplace at its lower end in a stack which backs onto the passage. Until recently there was apparently a quite large heated inner room with an outbuilding wing at right angles to the front of the inner room. The outbuilding survives but the inner room has been demolished recently. The surviving 2 room plan may be the extent of the original house; from the lower left side of the passage to the higher right-hand end of the hall it was open to the roof. The lower end was probably also open to the roof originally in which case it was floored first and a full-height partition inserted over the lower side of the passage while the hall remained open to the roof. The next phase was the insertion of the hall stack possibly when the hall was floored in circa early Cl7. The addition of the now demolished inner room with a chamber above was probably contemporaneous with the flooring of the hall. In the C19 the house appears to have been divided into 2 cottages since a doorway has been inserted into the front of the lower room and there are 2 staircases, one at the back of the lower left room and the other at the back of the hall. The inner room and wing in front of it was demolished and the house is undergoing refurbishment at the time of the survey, 1987. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4-window front of C20, 1, 2 and 3-light casements. C20 stable-type door to left of centre. Immediately to its right is a wide Cl7 studded plank door to the passage with trident hinges in an ovolo-moulded worn wooden frame whose left-hand jambs have been replaced. In the later outbuilding adjoining the house to the right is a late C15 or early C16 shouldered-head wooden doorframe which is very likely to have come from the house. Interior: the hall has 3 chamfered cross-beams that at the higher end is a half-beam, all with ogee-stops, and exposed square-section joists. A large granite fireplace at the lower end of the hall has chamfered monolithic jambs, the chamfer continued on the lintel. There is apparently a relieving arch over the lintel which is now concealed. The kitchen has a very large rough chamfered cross-beam without stops, it is set quite low; the square section joists are exposed. At the lower end a large fireplace with a chamfered timber lintel, the stops, if any, are concealed; the fireplace is blocked by a C20 range. On the higher side of the passage a section of moulded (2 rolls with a hollow between) headbeam to a screen which is missing. On the first floor in the partitions there are 2 Cl7 chamfered doorframes with ogee-stops. Roof: only the roofspace over the hall and passage was accessible at the time of the survey (Feb 1987); the medieval structure is entirely intact and completely smoke-blackened including the underside of the thatch, battens, rafters, purlins and trusses. The higher gable end wall and the higher side of the partition over the lower side of the passage are also smoke-blackened indicating that at least this part of the house was originally open to the roof. The truss over the hall and another over the hall may be a full cruck, each has a triangular yoke at the apex with a large trenched diagonal ridge-piece, threaded purlins and chamfered cranked collars morticed into the principals. The third truss over the lower end has jointed crucks with large crude face pegs. The roofspace at the lower end is inaccessible, therefore, the apex of the truss is not described; the roof structure over this end is probably also medieval. A most interesting feature of the house is what appears to be an early form of pothanger. Part of the structure remains in the roof over the hall on the higher side of the inserted stack. It has a sort of collar spanning the hall fixed to the purlins probably by birds- mouth joints. Hanging loose through a hole in this 'collar' and fixed by a peg is a vertical wooden shaft with a eye at the bottom. The main part of the apparatus has been taken out of the roof but is preserved in the house. It consists of a heavy wooden board with 8 hooks made from small forked branches, only crudely fashioned and fixed into mortices in the board, one still retaining its hazel twig peg. The whole is heavily smoke-blackened and was presumably suspended over the open hearth fire for hanging pots and cooking and curing meat. This is a very rare if not unique survival.

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SAMPFORD COURTENAY SS 60 SW 5/153 Paize Farmhouse GV II

Farmhouse. Probably early C16 origins, remodelled in Cl7. Rendered cob walls. Gable ended thatch roof. Brick stack at left gable end and granite axial stack with dripcourse. Plan: 2-room and through passage plan, lower end to the left. Hall stack backs onto the passage, lower end stack may be inserted. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4-window front of C20, 1, 2 and 3-light casements. C20 stable type door to left of centre. Immediately to its right is wide Cl7 studded plank door with trident hinges in an ovolo-moulded worn wooden frame whose left-hand jamb has been replaced. In a later outbuilding adjoining the house to the right is an early C16 shouldered-head wooden doorframe which is very likely to have come from the house. Interior: Inaccessible at time of survey, It is likely to have interesting interior features including a medieval roof structure.

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SAMPFORD COURTENAY SS 60 SW 5/153 Paize Farmhouse GV II Farmhouse. Probably early C16 origins, remodelled in C17. Rendered cob walls. Gable ended thatch roof. Brick stack at left gable end and granite axial stack with dripcourse. Plan: 2-room and through passage plan, lower end to the left. Hall stack backs onto the passage, lower end stack may be inserted. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4-window front of C20, 1, 2 and 3-light casements. C20 stable type door to left of centre. Immediately to its right is wide C17 studded plank door with trident hinges in an ovolo-moulded worn wooden frame whose left-hand jamb has been replaced. In a later outbuilding adjoining the house to the right is an early C16 shouldered-head wooden doorframe which is very likely to have come from the house. Interior: Inaccessible at time of survey. It is likely to have interesting interior features including a medieval roof structure.

Listing NGR: SS6203500985

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

93036

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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