Details
ILSINGTON
SX 87 SW
8/84 Hill Farmhouse, including former
- linhay about 10 metres south-east
of the farmhouse
- II
Farmhouse. C16, or possibly earlier, enlarged C17; later additions at rear. Solid
roughcast walls, except for left-hand (former stable) section in which the front and
gable walls are of exposed Devonian limestone. The rear wall of this section and
much of the rear wall of the middle section are of cob; it may be that the whole
front wall was rebuilt in stone in C19. Roof thatched, except for the former stable
which is covered with corrugated iron and hipped at left-hand end. In right-hand
gable a large, projecting C17 rendered chimneystack with projecting slate-course
just below the top, forming a cap. A second stack in rear wall (heating former
hall); this has C19 shafts above roof level. 3-room and through-passage plan,
modified in C19. Hall in centre has fireplace in rear wall. Former kitchen is at
upper end (an unusual arrangement which seems to result from a rebuilding or
addition of C17; straight joint in rear wall and change in roof structure). At
lower end is the former stable, which never seems to have been heated and could well
have been a shippon; if so, then this was a longhouse, since the stable shares an
early roof with the house and though the 2 sections are separated by a stone wall in
the ground storey, the division on the upper floor and in the roof-space is only a
lath and plaster partition. In C19 a new entrance, with passage leading to
staircase at rear, was inserted between hall and kitchen, apparently reducing the
original entrance to the status of a stable door. Behind the house and stable is a
line of lean-tos of uncertain date; that behind the stable was a dairy. 2 storeys.
4-window front to C19 house with 1 window in former stable. House windows are C19
2-light wood casements with 3 panes per light, except for the left-hand ground
storey window which is C20, having been converted from a former doorway. In second
bay from right is the C19 doorway, the door with 2 flush panels below and an
inserted C20 glazed panel above; thatched brick porch with wooden seats internally
at either side. The former stable section to left has the original doorway at
right-hand end. This has a plank door with strap hinges, the upper half opening
separately; C20 thatched wood porch. To left of it are 2 C20 windows and in second
storey is another C20 window with glazing bars, probably replacing an old loft door.
In right hand gable, in second storey, is a 2-light wood-mullioned window of late
C18 or early C19, this retaining square leaded panes tied to upright bars in the
centre of each light.
In rear wall, concealed by roof of lean-to is a 2-light wood mullioned window of the
late C16 or early C17; this has flat-splay mullions and appears not to have been
designed for glazing.
Interior retains much of its C19 character, with irregular wall and ceiling
plaster. Former hall has ovolo-moulded upper floor-beam and a similar half-beam
against the wall with through-passage; one raised run-out stop is visible.
Fireplace rebuilt in C20. Former kitchen has large gable fireplace with chamfered
wood lintel having scroll-stops; oven at back with rectangular stone surround to
opening. Former stable retains wooden trough and hayracks along rear wall, these
being hidden behind a C20 partition. Dairy has good plank door with wooden lock.
Roof structure retains 4 side-pegged jointed-cruck trusses with threaded purlins and
ridge; cambered collars. In the C19 house end, which contains 2 of the trusses, the
lower parts of the front blades have been cut off, and 1 truss has lost its collar.
These 2 trusses, together with the purlins, ridge and common rafters, are darkened,
as if by smoke from an open hearth; the underside of the thatch is not blackened.
Over the former stable the trusses are perfectly clean, and it seems likely that
this end of the building was always divided from the rest by a full height
partition. At the upper end the purlins and ridge have been sawn off level with the
partition between former kitchen and staircase; the principal rafters beyond this
point have plain feet, but the upper parts are not accessible.
Immediately opposite the house, and included in the listing, is a former linhay, its
rear wall of cob and its front wall infilled with brick. The roof trusses have
struts pegged to the feet of the principal rafters at the front. The principal
rafters are themselves re-used, having slots for the shaped ends of halved collars
just below the ridge.
The house and its farm buildings have high visual quality when seen from the old
A38.
Listing NGR: SX8093573898
