Glebe House

Details

WHITESTONE CHURCH TOWN SX 89 SE

4/118 Glebe House 11.ll.52 (formerly listed as The Rectory)

GV II*

House, formerly priest's house and then rectory. Possibly C15 with circa late C16 remodelling and at least 2 phases of extension including one of 1775 and further extension of the early C19. The old part of the house is cob, built directly on to the shillet, the later additions largely brick, all colourwashed and rendered; slate roofs, the early building gable-ended (formerly hipped), the later additions under a 2-span hipped roof, brick stacks. Overall L-plan, the early part of the house to the north west. Long history of evolution, beginning with a high status medieval open hall house which was 2-storey at the lower end to the left (south) with a narrow inner room to the right (north) with an original internal jetty. (Alcock and Laitwaite). The hall was probably floored in the late C16. Alcock and Laithwaite sugges that the front lateral stack was inserted in the C18 or C19. The post-medieval sequence is not entirely clear, but internal joinery suggests that the lower end and passage were rebuilt in the early C18 prior to a substantial remodelling in 1775 of the lower end and extension at right angles to the front of the old house, adjoining the lower end. This gave a new south-facing symmetrical range with a kitchen to the left of a central entrance passage and a best parlour to the right. The hall and inner room of the old house were presumably used as a service wing. The south facing range was later extended 1 room to the right (east), probably in the early C19 (after 1830) and the 1775 range was given a new porch. Finally, the former coach-house to the rear (north) of the south range was incorporated as part of the house accommodation. In the C20 a conservatory/porch has been added to the former coach-house. 2 storeys. The south elevation has a symmetrical 5-bay front with a 2-bay addition at the right end. Early C19 central Greek Doric porch with a 2-leaf half-glazed front door and rectangular fanlight with diamond glazing bars; deep eaves with timber brackets and large pane sash windows, 6-pane to the first floor and 12-pane to ground floor. Interior A good medieval roof, late C16 features and fine early C19 interiors survive. The 3-bay medieval open hall roof, below a later roof, has high quality carpentry: 3 bays of arch braced jointed crucks with cranked collars mortised into the principals, a diagonally set threaded ridge with a strengthening piece below the junction of the principals, 2 tiers of butt purlins and curved wind braces. The roof apex is not thoroughly accessible but is heavily sooted above both the inner room and hall but not sooted on the left-hand (lower) end of the left-hand truss, which is closed. The ridge suggests that the roof originally extended further to the left, over what was probably a 2-storey lower end before the C18 alterations. A particularly interesting feature of the central truss, above the hall, is that the centre of the collar is brought down as a plain oval pendant with a flat soffit. A hip cruck (unjointed) survives at the right (inner) end of the old range. On the ground floor the circa late C16 hall is very complete. The fireplace has stone jamb and a plain timber lintel. The hall has a plank and muntin oak screen at the inner end with ancient colour (red on the top rail and muntins, some ochre on the planks) and chamfered muntins stopped off at hall bench level. The first floor above the inner room is jettied into the hall with joists with curved ends. At the lower end of the hall a second plank and muntin screen has a blocked Caernarvon arched doorway formerly leading to the (putative) passage. Above the screen a partition wall rises through the first floor. Both screens have been repaired in the late C20. The hall has 1 chamfered cross beam and 2 half beams with step stops. The circa early C19 rooms are very complete with good doors below arches, shutters and chimney pieces. The principal stair has stick balusters, bobbin-turned newel and ramped, wreathed handrail . Small pieces of stained glass, probably originating from the church, have been incorporated into a C20 glazed door; the stained glass includes a medieval Courteney arms. 2 interesting features of the old house, discovered in the C19, have been resited in an outbuilding adjoining the house: a massive doorway, originally the front door to the passage, with oak jambs mortised and pegged into a straight lintel, (which may formerly have been ogee-headed, Alcock and Laithwaite) and a 4-light C15 timber mullioned window with moulded trefoil-headed lights which was formerly in the first floor of the inner room. 2 illustrations of the Glebe House (entitled "Whitestone Rectory") are reproduced in the T.D.A. One of circa 1830 shows the south elevation prior to its extension by 1 room to the east, the other of circa 1870 shows the south elevation and south porch as they exist at present. Extant plans (photocopies in the possession of the owner) indicate the extent of the 1775 alterations. An outstanding house for its high quality medieval roof, its C16 features and fine late C18 and early C19 additions. Braddick, L.E. "Whitestone and Oldridge", T.D.A.. Vol XCIV (1962), pp. 339-362. Alcock and Laithwaite, "Medieval Houses in Devon and their Modernization", Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 17, pp. 100-125.

Listing NGR: SX8682494326

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

402355

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Medieval Archaeology in Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 17, (), 100-125
Transactions of the Devonshire Association in Transactions of the Devonshire Association, Vol. 94, (1962), 339-362

End of official list entry

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