Cator Higher Cator

Details

WIDECOMBE-IN- SX 67 NE THE-MOOR 1/138 Cator and Higher Cator -

- II

Former longhouse, now extended and divided into 2 houses. C16 with later additions. Shippon at south end rebuilt in C20; north end extended, with lean-to on west side, in C20. A long lean-to on west side, probably mostly of C18 or early C19; parts of it could be earlier. Granite rubble. The original house-part is thatched; present owners say the lowest layer of thatch has not been removed in their time. Granite rubble chimneystack on each gable; that on south (heating former hall) is of small stones and has a tapered cap that on north is of larger stones but with a plain top. The other roofs are covered with asbestos slates, except for the lean-to on west (facing road), which has real slates. The basic plan appears to be the traditional 3-room one, but with a long inner room at the north end; this has now been sub- divided, leaving a cross-passage on the south and a smaller room (now part of Higher Cator) on the north. The hall has its stack backing on to shippon (on the south) with a winding staircase in a shallow turret beside the stack on the east. There is now no cross-passage at the north end of the shippon, but one is reported to have existed before this end of the building collapsed in early C20. 2 storeys; lean- tos single-storeyed. East front, facing garden, is 4 windows wide in the old house- part. Windows are mostly C19 wood casements with 2 or 3 panes per light, but left- hand second-storey window is early or mid C18; it is of 3 lights with lightly- moulded wood mullions, the 2 outer lights having diamond-shaped leaded panes of old glass. At left-hand end is the slightly projecting, rounded stair turret with a single, small stone-framed window. The front wall of the hall to right is built out almost level with the turret. To right of this again is the doorway into the inserted cross-passage; it has a C20 stone porch with a re-used segmental-arched granite doorway brought from a barn at Huccaby Farm, Lydford. The windows flanking the porch in ground storey have granite lintels, that to right being chamfered. The C20 lean-to at right-hand end has an early C16 stone window-head with 2 moulded round-arched lights, brought from Lizwell Farm, Widecombe; the left half of the left light is a restoration. The west front, facing the road, is almost entirely concealed by the lean-to, which has mostly small-paned wood casement windows, except for 2 C20 metal casements at the right-hand end. Higher Cator (to left) has an old plank door. Cator has an old chamfered granite doorway with a flattened 4-centred arch; this was brought from Peak Hill farm, near Yelverton. To left of it is a small square window (now blocked) with hollow-moulded granite jambs extending almost the full height of the opening. Beneath it is an old granite mounting-block with 3 steps. Interior: Hall has chamfered upper-floor beams with straight-cut stops; plain joists. Fireplace has hollow-moulded right jamb and lintel of granite. Left jamb rebuilt; in this side is an oven with stone-framed opening. To left is the winding staircase with granite steps. Stone wall at upper end, rising only through ground storey. Inner room not inspected (except for the inserted passage); owner says gable-fireplaces on both floors (now blocked in) have plain granite lintels. Former shippon has original drain, now floored over. Back of hall stack, facing former cross-passage, is plain. House-part has old roof-trusses with plain feet; no inspection hatch to roof-space. Source: information from the owners, Sir Guy and Lady Sayer.

Listing NGR: SX6830576834

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

440430

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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