Upcott Farmhouse

Details

THELBRIDGE SS 81 SW 3/254 - Upcott Farmhouse 26.8.65 - II

Farmhouse. Probably mid C16 with major later C16 and C17 improvements and C17, C18 and late C19 extensions. Mostly plastered cob on rubble footings, some late C19 exposed rubble with brick dressings; rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate roof and small section under corrugated iron (all formerly thatched). Much- altered 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south-east. Former service room to left (south-west) and now incorporated into C19 farmbuildings. C17 1-room extension on right (north-east) end. Early C18 kitchen wing added at right angles to rear of passage and former service room and late C19 wing added at right angles to rear of right end room. Hall has large axial stack backing onto passage; inner room has now-disused end stack; and kitchen wing has massive end stack with oven projection. 2 storeys. Irregular overall 5-window front. Left end (to former service room) shows mostly late C19 exposed rubble which includes 2 plain doorways with small unglazed window between and loading hatch over right door. Plastered 4- window front to what is now the main house, comprising a variety of C19 and C20 casements with glazing bars, one with margin panes. Late C19 6-panel door at left end to passage and C20 door at right end to extension. Roof is gable-ended to right and drops down left of passage to corrugated iron roof over former service room. Good interior of a house with long and complex structural history. The oldest fabric is exposed in the roofspace where probably mid C16 roof structure survives over passage and includes a side-pegged jointed cruck truss. It is smoke-blackened as too is a post set in the hall face of the cob crosswall between hall and inner room which indicate that the hall and passage area was originally open to the roof and heated by an open hearth fire. In mid-late C16 fireplace inserted to hall. It is large, of stone rubble, and has an oak lintel resting on oak pads and a mutilated soffit with remains of chamfered and pyramid stopped finish. To left of chimneybreast is a contemporary beam which may be a mid-late C16 bressumer carrying internal jetty of passage chamber. Hall floored in early-mid C17 by 2 crossbeams, both chamfered with keeled lozenge stops. Former inner room has mid-late C16 axial beam. It is chamfered with pyramid stops to extension and straight cut stops to hall side. Fireplace here is blocked. Extension room has mid C17 plain-chamfered elm crossbeam and fireplace with its oak lintel soffit-chamfered with bar-runout stops. Contemporary roof over this section of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars. Early C18 kitchen wing was 2 storeys within living memory but is now open to roof. It has a very large stone rubble fireplace, its lintel now hidden. It includes a large brick bread oven to rear and, on either side, doorways to walk-in smoking chambers. Left doorway is blocked but right is open and smoking chamber is intact. Original roof of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars and X- apexes. Former service end was rebuilt in late C19 although rear cob wall is original. It is now part-floored with massive unfinished crossbeams and late C19 roof. An interesting multi-phase farmhouse with an unusually large kitchen fireplace complete with oven and smoking chambers.

Listing NGR: SS8261112791

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

433738

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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