Yarner Farmhouse

Details

DARTINGTON SX7861-SX7961 Yarner Farmhouse 13/106 9.2.61 II

Farmhouse. Probably early C16, remodelled and extended in early to mid C17 and extended again circa mid to late C17 and again in the early C18 with alterations in the C19 and C20. Roughcast rendered stone rubble, local limestone rubble exposed at the rear; partly weatherboarded stud wall at the back. Slate roofs, asbestos slates at rear, gable ended over east ends of early C16 and C17 ranges and hipped at back and over late C17 range. Rendered gable end stacks with rebuilt rendered shafts. Plan: the earliest part of the house in the south range orientated approximately west at east and facing south. It is probably early C16, originally open to the roof and seems to have extended to the right (east) where the ground level is slightly lower so that the demolished end was probably to the east. The sequence of changes is unclear but the right hand truss has been infilled creating a smoke-bay against the right hand gable end which predates the insertion of the floor may be contemporary with the infilling of the left (west) of the 3 surviving trusses; the centre of the 3 trusses remains open. In early to mid C17 the floor was inserted and a stack with a very large fireplace was built inside the smoke-bay probably relegating the right hand (east) end of this range to a kitchen with a chamber above. The left (west) end has been reduced in height with a lean-to roof but must have also originally been open to the roof. Probably when the floor was inserted in circa early to mid C17 a short parallel range was added behind the left hand (west) and extending to the left beyond the original range. It probably contained the parlour at the right end with a gable end stack and another room with a stack at the left end with a newel stairs to the side of the stack. At this stage in the early to mid C17 the orientation of the house had probably changed and in the mid to late C17 a 1-room plan addition was built on the north behind the left hand end of the parlour range with a passage separating the 2 ranges. By this time the east (right) side of the house had certainly become the front presenting an elevation receding to the right and formed from the east ends of the staggered ranges projecting to the left. A porch was built in 1714 in the angle of the north and middle ranges to the front of a passage which lead to a lean-to outshut at the back (west) of the centre and north ranges. The outshut was later raised to 2-storeys and another lean-to was outshut was built at the right (north) side. In the C20 the passage north partition was removed from the mid to late C17 north range, the passage front doorway blocked and a new doorway within the same 1714 porch inserted into the central early to mid C17 range, the east end of which became the stair hall. Exterior: 2 storeys. As viewed from the east 3 asymmetrical staggered ranges receding to the right; the gable end of the original early C16 range projects to the left with a projecting gable end stack, and on the inner right hand face of the range a probably C16 roughly chamfered heavy timber doorframe which has been raised and has a remade round head now with the C20 glazed door; circa late C19 or early C20 3-light casement with glazing bars above. Set back at the centre is the wide gable end of the early to mid C17 range with a truncated gable end stack and 3 late C19 or early C20 2 and 3-light casements with glazing bars; on the inner right hand face a circa late C17 or early C18 (1714) 2-storey porch in the angle with a round-arch doorway made with small red bricks with a keystone inscribed with initials E over the I.E. and date 1714, the plinth of the jambs are chamfered limestone; inside the porch the plaster ceiling has an ovolo and cavetto moulded cornice, the heavy timber inner door frame is C17 with true mitres and double ovolo moulding and much worn urn-shaped stops; this doorway is now a window or another doorway has been formed within the porch to the left; on the right side of the porch a small window slit and a stone bench. To the right of the porch a large late C19 or early C20 3-light casement on both floors. On the right hand return a later lean-to outbuilding. Rear west elevation: the hipped end of the roof of the original range to the right is carried down as a catslide. To the left the whole building projects; the top of the gable end of the early to mid C17 middle range is set back but below and in front 2 small hipped roofs project over the rear service rooms which are weather boarded on the first floor suggesting a heightening of a single storey outshut; flush with this to the left an hipped roof over another rear service room. Various C20 wooden and metal- frame casements at the back and C19 to C20 on the south side. Interior: the deep early to mid C17 middle range has 2 chamfered cross-beam with bar stops. At the west end of the middle range an early C18 china cupboard with thick moulded glazing bars to segmented-headed glazed doors and fielded panel lower doors; this cupboard was moved from another part of the house. On the north side of the west stack of the middle range a curved recess probably contained a window staircase. The interior of the original range is described after the roof descriptions. Roofs: the early to mid C17 middle range has trusses with straight principals with morticed apexes and lapped dovetail joints to the collars, all pegged except for one of the dovetail joints which has larger rails, the 3 tiers of purlins and diagonal ridge-piece are threaded; there are a few reused smoke-blackened rafters. The roof over the mid to late C17 north range has been replaced with C20 soft wood except for one truss which is halved at the apex and the collars lapped to the face of the principals, the purlins are trenched. The roof over the original south range is of 3 bays, the left west bay now has a hipped roof and therefore probably mostly destroyed but it is ceiled and inaccessible. The other 12 bays are open on the first floor; the 3 trusses with slightly curved feet were open with morticed collars (collar of centre truss replaced), morticed apexes, diagonal threaded or trenched ridge-piece, and 2 tiers of threaded purlins with pegs for rafters. All three trusses were probably originally open, the centre truss is still open, the left hand truss is now closed with later (probably C17) studs fixed with large nails and mastered panels; the right hand truss is about 1 metre from the gable end wall (which has part of another principal exposed) and has a cambered tie-beam and collar and later studs fixed with large nails and plastered infill panels forming a smoke-bay. One of the purlins which continues over the smoke-bay is threaded and scarfed through the principle in the right hand gable end suggesting that the house continued to the right originally. The room below has a cross beam under the left hand truss, chamfered on the left side with step stops and unchamfered on the right hand side which has halvings for partition studs, the partition having been removed. There are 2 more cross-beams both chamfered with deeply stepped stops; the ends of the beams are supported on large probably C17 chamfered wooden corbels. The right hand end has an inserted stack in the smoke-bay with a very large fireplace with a chamfered timber lintel with hollow step stops; this fireplace has been blocked with a smaller but still large probably C18 fireplace with stone rubble jambs and a clay oven to the left. The left hand bay of this page has an RSJ in place of the original cross-beam and a later stud partition above.

Listing NGR: SX7810661929

Legacy

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101019

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