Rapson Court Farmhouse

Details

ROBOROUGH SS 5717 19/175 Rapson Court Farmhouse - GV II

Shown on O.S. map as East Rapson. Farmhouse. Probably late C15 or early C16, altered in the early to mid C19. Mid to late C19 additions and minor alterations. Rendered cob on stone rubble plinth, front and left-hand end walls refaced (if not rebuilt) in squared stone rubble (cob verge to gable end). Gable-ended wheatstraw thatched roof. Brick axial stacks. C19 addition of stone rubble with some gault brick dressings and gable-ended Welsh-slate roof with C20 bitumen covering. Plan and development: Three-room and through-passage plan, facing south (ground falls to left). Hall with axial stack backing onto former through passage to left of hall, former inner room to right with integral end stack and former service room at the left-hand end of the house (present kitchen) with integral end stack. The hall was probably formerly open to the roof (see late ceiling) and the first floor only inserted in the C17 when the stack was probably inserted. The inner room and service rooms probably had first floors from the outset (see large joists in inner room) but the end stacks are also probably C17 insertions. The house was probably partly refaced in the C17 and the roof was possibly rebuilt at the same time too (roof-space not inspected). The staircase was inserted in the rear of the through passage (blocking the rear doorway of the passage) in the mid to late C19, although it is possible that it replaces an earlier inserted staircase. Mid to late C19 wing projecting at right angles to rear of hall, incorporating a dairy with loft above. Late C19 range of outbuildings at rear of kitchen too (ground-floor windows with stone cills). The plan strongly suggests that the house was formerly a late Medieval open hall but the roof-space was inaccesible at the time of survey (February 1988) so it was not possible to confirm the presence of a smoke-blackened roof. Two storeys with C19 additions of one storey and loft and one storey. Exterior: Roughly-symmetrical front; 4 first-floor windows and 3 ground-floor windows, all late C20 two-and three-light wooden casements in old openings with wooden lintels. Right-hand ground-floor window replaces a former doorway (see straight joints below). Doorway between the first and second ground-floor windows from the left with C19 half-glazed door, wooden frame and wooden lintel. Ground-floor windows with stone cills. C20 bracketed lean-to porch. Dairy wing at rear has a loft doorway with a plank door, wooden frame and stone flat-arched head, and is approached by an external flight of stone steps with slate treads and a former kennel below. Four pigeon nesting holes in wall above loft doorway. The right-hand side wall has a 2-light window with a stone flat-arched head and a plank doorway to its right with brick reveals and a brick segmental-arched head. Two small windows in the left-hand side wall. Interior: Hall has C20 ceiling and C17 fireplace altered in the C20 but retaining an old cloam oven. Former inner room has large joists spanning left to right, small fireplace with stone jambs and chamfered wooden lintel (opening reduced in width at some time), and old cupboard in wall to left of fireplace which has 2 one-panelled doors with shaped H-hinges. The passage has a C17 chamfered half beam along the right-hand wall (rear of hall stack) and a C19 matchboarded dado. C19 staircase to rear of passage with winders at top and at foot, C19 matchboarding to sides and landing balustrade with stick balusters (the staircase formerly had a plank door at the foot). Kitchen has a chamfered cross beam and a chamfered half beam to the left- hand end. C17 open fireplace with wooden lintel and plain C19 architrave. Bench to right of fireplace and old cupboard behind with plank door and shaped hinges. Old plank doors between kitchen and passage and between kitchen and former pump house at rear. First-floor with bedrooms to front and passage to rear. Roof-space inaccesible. The feet of trusses with straight principals are visible from the first-floor rooms as are large purlins over the inner-room (right-hand) end of the house.

Listing NGR: SS5738017939

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

91791

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

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