East Pavington Farmhouse

Details

BURRINGTON

SS 61 NW

5/9 East Pavington Farmhouse -

- II Farmhouse. Probably early C16, remodelled and extended at left end in C17, lower end rebuilt in late C18, with C20 internal alterations. Painted rendered stone rubble and cob. Right gable end unrendered. Thatch roof with gable ends to main range, C17 extension at left end has corrugated iron roof to front, asbestos slate roof to rear. Tall front lateral rendered hall stack with offsets. Brick stack at right gable end and rendered stone rubble stack with tapered cap at left end. Plan: Basically 3-room and through-passage plan, lower end to right, with added range of single room plan at left end which is recessed slightly. Interesting plan development. Originally the hall and relatively narrow inner room were open to the roof, the inner room probably being ceiled first with an apparent internal jetty into the hall. Possibly at the same time as the ceiling over of the hall, the recessed range of 1-room plan was added in the C17, at the higher left gable end. This may originally have been intended for use as a heated parlour, the upper storey being used as a wool chamber; the trap door through which the bales were hoisted still functions and must be an exceptionally rare survival. The former inner room, between the hall and this added range, was consequently released from its usual function and served until the late C20 as a salting-house. The lower end, to judge by a straight joint to the right of the through-passage and the roof structure, was entirely rebuilt, possibly in 1778 according to the date plaque at the right gable end. Its new use appears to have been as a relatively large parlour, the added range at the upper end being reduced to a storage room and possibly a kitchen, although both the inserted hall stack and the stack to this added range incorporate bread ovens. The original position of the stairs is unclear, although the evidence of the jetty beam suggests a ladder arrangement at the rear of the hall. The principal straight-run staircase runs up to the right of the through-passage encroaching on the lower end, and a second staircase runs up from back to front on the inner room side of the hall-inner room partition, entering the hall at the upper end. 2 storeys. Main range has 4-window range. Principally C19 fenestration, 3-light casements, 3 panes per light. Ground floor lower end has C19 2-light casement 6 panes per light to right of C20 door to through-passage doorway. The added range retains its original fenestration with a 2-light casement with rectangular leaded panes over a similar 3-light window, the outer lights retaining rectangular panes, the centre light replaced in C19 with 2-paned window. Slate plaque at right gable end with incised decoration and inscription 'Elizabeth Pridham/1778/My cousins all when you see/Remember me'. C19 outshut to rear of hall butting into single storey gable-ended service wing, the 2 remaining sides of the L-shape enclosed by pantile- capped walls to form small rear courtyard. Interior: Hall retains single cross ceiling beam, positioned over the upper end of the hall fireplace lintel. Its moulding profile is interesting having a straight chamfer to its upper side terminating in hollow step stops, and on the side facing the hall, a double roll moulding terminating at the front end in a large hollow step stop carved as a single large leaf. The other end of the double roll moulding terminates about 0.5 metres short of the rear wall, running out as a straight chamfer. This feature strongly suggests the former presence of a ladder or narrow staircase, and the different moulding on each side of the beam also points to its former function as a jetty beam as a result of the primary ceiling over of the inner room end. Chamfered timber hall fireplace lintel. Cloam oven with 2-handled door. Rear of fireplace lined with bricks. Squint in right-hand jamb. The inner room has no exposed features. The added range at the left end has an ovolo-moulded fireplace lintel, cross ceiling beam with wide chamfer, original joists and trapdoor facility in the rear right-hand corner. Single chamfered cross-ceiling beam to lower end. Rear through-passage doorway appears to retain cased in C17 jambs. Roof structure over wool chamber entirely replaced in C20 except for single heavy purlin on front side. Over the hall and inner room are 2 raised cruck trusses, the feet entirely boxed in but said to be no evidence of jointed crucks. These originally carried a diagonally set threaded ridge and 2 tiers of threaded purlins. Above these, and resting on the backs of the original principals, are 2 further trusses. The original 2 trusses and the roof structure over the hall are thoroughly smoke-blackened, with signs of smoke-blackening on the gable end wall of the inner room, but the superimposed trusses are clean suggesting the hall roof was simply 'jacked-up' when the hall was ceiled. 3 C18 pegged trusses with straight principals and waney rafters over lower end. This is an interesting example of a late medieval farmhouse with a complex subsequent history of phased developement. The added range at the upper end is an unusual and remarkably intact survival.

Listing NGR: SS6260216718

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

97139

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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