Holtgate

Details

SS 62 SE SATTERLEIGH AND CHITTLEHAMHOLT WARKLEIGH 4/191 Holtgate - II

Farmhouse, now private dwelling. Probably early C16, remodelled in late C16 or early C17, lower end rebuilt and extended in late C18 or early C19 with some C20 alterations. Rendered stone rubble and cob. Half-hipped thatch roof. Stone rubble rear lateral hall stack with tapered cap and brick stack at front end. Plan: probably former 3-room and through-passage plan, the inner room at left end apparently demolished and extension of 1-room plan added to right end in late C18 or early C19, and an unheated gabled rear service wing added to rear of lower end in C19. Development: interesting multi-phase development. The hall to the left of the through-passage was originally open to the roof, with particularly clear evidence of a jettied chamber over the screens passage. The much lighter smoke-blackening confined to the roof structure between the jetty partition and the closed truss over the lower side of the through-passage when compared to that over the hall suggests the jetty is not inserted but integral with the original open hall, the light smoke- blackening being the result of smoke permeating from the hall's open hearth through the jetty partition. The hall proper seems to have been ceiled in the late C16 or possibly C17. In the C18 the lower end appears to have been entirely rebuilt and an additional range of 1-room plan added at right end. At the same time, it seems probable that the inner room to the left of the hall was itself demolished, the end wall of the hall showing evidence both of complete rebuilding but also of formerly continuing beyond its present line. The plan was therefore effectively reversed with the former hall to the left of the through-passage and 2 rooms to right. In the C19 an unheated 2-storey service wing was added to the rear of the right-hand room, the upper storey apparently originally intended for farm storage. In C20 a staircase was inserted running up rear wall of lower end; the original position of the stairs is unclear. 2 storeys. 4-window range. Two 2-light casements, 3 panes per light at left end, 2-light casement, 4 panes per light above hipped roof to C19 porch with C19 plank door, C19 3-light casement, 6 panes per light on each floor to right, that to ground floor apparently inserted in former lateral stack heating lower end (although no evidence survives of this internally). C20 fenestration and leanto at right end. Interior: hall and through-passage retain very complete and good quality interiors. Plank and muntin screens survive to both sides of the passage, that to hill side, 8 planks wide with stop chamfered muntins on both sides and central segmental arched chamfered door surround. Chamfered head beam, the chamfers returned at each end. Screen to lower side, 6 planks wide with the muntins chamfered on the passage side only and incorporating 2 doorways, that to rear infilled with an inserted muntin and plank segmental headed, that towards centre has gentle ogee head, both with chamfered surrounds. The head beam is particularly elaborate with triple roll mouldings between larger rolls. The through-passage retains its cobbled floor. Stop chamfered joists to passage and jetty. The jetty beam unusually has hollow step-stopped chamfers at regular intervals, with small mortices in the front face of the beam occuring at each end of the 4 breaks, possibly indicating that the studs of the jetty partition were later rehoused in mortices on the upper face of the jetty beam. Single wide chamfered axial ceiling beam, with step stops at the jetty end. Hall fireplace has chamfered lintel with pyramid stop to right end only; stone lintel is infilled probable former smoking chamber to right with panelled cupboard door to right below the jetty. Roof: 2 raised cruck trusses over hall and lower side of passage, the latter closed to collar level with a mud and stud partition. The feet of the principals are not visible. Trusses have morticed and tenoned collars and carry 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlins. All the roof members, including battens, rafters and underside of thatch are smoke-blackened to the hall side of the closed truss, but a definitive break occurs above the jetty partition which has been removed above first floor ceiling level, the smoke-blackening being much more pronounced on the hall side. With the C18 rebuilding of the lower end, the clean roof structure over the end has straight pegged principals with lapped collars; at the same time a hip was introduced at the hall end. Holtgate is a particularly interesting example of a farmhouse retaining clear evidence of complex phased development and exceptionally high quality interior carpentry detail.

Listing NGR: SS6509321292

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

445594

Legacy System:

LBS

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