Details
SW 63 SW CROWAN
4/95 Binnerton Manor Farmhouse, front
- courtyard walls and adjoining
15.1.70 outbuilding
GV II
Former manor house, now farmhouse, including front courtyard walls and adjoining
dovecote and outbuilding. Probably C17, remodelled and extended in the C18. Granite
rubble walls, slate sills, wooden lintels. Wheat reed thatched T-plan roof with
asbestos slate on the rear angle slopes, part of which sweeps lower over an outshut.
C18 granite ashlar chimney over the left hand gable end, brick chimney over the gable
end of the front of the cross wing, right, and stone rubble chimney over the rear
gable of the cross wing.
Now an overall L-shaped plan : a circa early-mid C18 2 rooms wide double-depth plan
wing, left, and a cross wing, right, incorporating remains of a C17 or earlier house
at the rear and remodelled or rebuilt at the front in the C18. The left hand wing
contains the 2 principal C18 rooms, at the front, with originally a cross passage
between parlour left and possibly another parlour right, with central stair and 2
shallow service rooms under rear outshut. Probably soon afterwards the house was
divided into 2 houses, the cross wing, right, becoming a separate house with a stair
hall between the front room (the present kitchen) and the rear room (now a parlour).
In circa the late C18, the formerly symmetrical 5 window front of the left hand wing
was remodelled, probably when converted back into one house. The right hand cross
wing may have originally been a 3 room through passage plan house but was remodelled
in the C18 probably with a small unheated service room between the present kitchen,
front, and the stair; now all one room but some partition survives near the door,
left.
2 storeys. Slightly irregular 4 window front with heightened eaves circa late C18
plus the gable end of a deep projecting wing on the right hand side of the front.
Probably originally a nearly symmetrical 5 window front (see plan description). 3 of
the original 1st floor openings survive unaltered, the 2 on the left with their
original mid C18 16-pane 2-light casements with thick glazing bars and some original
crown glass, the right hand opening with a circa late C18 12-pane horizontal sliding
sash. Old horizontal sliding sashes also to the widened former doorway (12 + 12
panes) and the widened window over with 12 + 16 panes. The ground floor left hand
window in an altered opening is a wide 28-pane hornless sash. Panelled door in
former window opening right. The return, (left hand) courtyard facing, wall of the
crosswing has a doorway towards the left with ledged door, wide 3-light casement over
and a 12-pane 2-light casement at ground floor left. Taking the angles in front of
both doorways is a circa late C19 lean-to open slate-roofed porch carried on wooden
posts with arched bracing between and with a shaped bargeboard. The other side
(east) of the wing overlooks a rectangular garden, possibly the former vegetable
garden. Irregular disposition of windows: 12 pane casement in former doorway towards
left and 16 pane hornless sash to kitchen right, otherwise later windows but the two
1st floor windows are in probably C18 openings blocked opening at ground floor right.
Small slate roofed lean-to in front of the left hand side, and on the right hand
side, the C17 walling of the kitchen adjoins an outbuilding, now roofless.
Interior : In the parlour is a fine circa mid C18 plaster Rococo ceiling wih moulded
cornice and carved arabesque decoration. The adjoining room, right, has C18 bowtell
moulded beams. The main dog-leg stair is C19 with stick balusters but probably in
the same position as the mid C18 stair which it replaces. Overall, an old interior
essentially unaltered since the C19. Old roof structures not inspected but probably
C18.
A rectangular walled courtyard encloses the inner angle in front of the house.
Against the left hand side is a lean-to; in the front left hand corner a 2-storey
dovecote with a flight of stone steps to the 1st floor. In front of the dovecote
projecting outside the courtyard is a 2 storey outbuilding possibly stabling with
fodder storage over. The front wall of the courtyard has a dressed granite
jambstone, chamfered with diagonal stops, reused but probably from the C17 house.
The dovecote is of brick with a scantle slate roof and a brick chimney over the gable
end, possibly used as a granary or for servants accommodation. There are 6 rows of
pigeon holes in the gable end a row under the eaves. The outbuilding projecting in
front of the dovecote is circa early C19, has rubble walls, some dressed granite
moorstone and a scantle slate roof with gable ends. 2-cell rectangular plan, each
cell with a doorway and small window in the left hand (west) wall and a small 1st
floor window. At the rear the first floor is cob with an old shuttered 2-light
wiindow left, and granite steps, right, leading to a circa late C19 inserted doorway
with roof gable.
There was formerly a chapel nearby and some dressed stone, including fragments of
window tracery have been found, some of which are in a small garden near the
entrance. It is reputed that John Wesley stayed here.
Binnerton Manor is a picturesque farmhouse owing some of its charm to the way it has
evolved; however, in spite the changes, there are notable features surviving from the
early to mid C18 period including: 2 casement windows, an ashlar chimney and a fine
parlour ceiling.
Listing NGR: SW6081433150
