Stinhall

Details

SX 78 NW CHAGFORD

4/68 Stinhall
20.2.52

GV II

House, former farmhouse. Dated 1690 but apparently earlier core, modernised and
enlarged circa 1984. Granite stone rubble with granite ashlar quoins; granite
stacks, all with their original granite ashlar chimney shafts and one with moulded
coping; thatch roof, slate to refurbished rear block.
Plan and development: the main block faces north and it basically comprises the 1690
house. It has a 2-room plan with central through passage. The left (eastern) room
was the kitchen/ service room with an end stack and winder stair rising alongside;
the right (western) room was the hall/parlour and it has an axial stack backing onto
the passage. The chamber above the latter has its own end stack. 2-storey dairy
outshot to rear of kitchen. Originally there appears to have been a stair projecting
to rear of the hall but present stair is part of circa 1984 refurbishment. At that
time a range of former agricultural buildings projecting at right angles to rear
were modernised and brought into domestic use. 2 storeys.
Exterior: the 3-window front is based on a symmetrical idea. The central front
passage doorway now contains a C20 door. Above is a granite hoodmould, without
labels but surmounted by the datestone carved with intials RS and the date 1690. It
is flanked by contemporary granite 3-light windows with chamfered mullions. Both
have hoodmoulds and carved labels, 4-leaf florettes to the left window and fleur-de-
lys to right. All 3 first floor windows are C20 casements with glazing bars. Roof
is gable-ended.
Interior: the features of the hall/parlour appear to date from the early rather than
the late part of the C17. The crossbeam here is soffit-chamfered with step stops.
The large granite fireplace has a plain soffit-moulded oak lintel and contains a side
oven. The back of the stack (in the passage) is ashlar-built with a soffit chamfered
cornice. The kitchen/service room features look more like they dated from 1690.
Here the crossbeam is roughly-finished. The granite rubble fireplace has a
replacement lintel and a side oven larger than that in the other room. A timber
winder stair rises to right. The first floor shows only C19 and C20 joinery detail.
The roof structure over the right room was replaced in C20. However the rest
probably dates from 1690 and is carried by A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed
collars. Also, buried in a partition over the lower side of the passage, is a
probably early C17 truss on a lower level. Only the apex shows in the roofspace.
That there was once a lower roof is also suggest by the dressed quoins on the left
(eastern) end wall which stop short of the present wall top. That the present
roofline dates from 1690 is suggested by the ashlar chimney shafts which appear
consistent with such a date. Possibly more features earlier than 1690 survive behind
later plaster.
Stinhall is an interesting farmhouse. The 1690 date appears to commemorate a major
refurbishing of a house at least as old as the early C17. It is tempting to suggest
that the house was late medieval with a 3-room-and-through-passage plan but that the
inner room end (on the uphill western end) was demolished when the house ws
rearranged in 1690. Furthermore Stiniel is an exceptionally picturesque Devon hamlet
which also includes 2 other late medieval farmhouses; Higher Stiniel (q.v) and
Stinhall Cottage (q.v). The hamlet has also attracted some historic interest since
it is first recorded in 1224 as Stennenhalle which means hall of stone.
Sources: Devon SMR: Dr N. Alcock. Stiniel, Chagford. Parts 1 and 2. Devon Life
(March and April, 1974).


Listing NGR: SX7064785506

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

94597

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Alcock, N W, Devon Life in Stiniel Chagford Part 1, (1974)
Alcock, Dr N W, Devon Life in Stiniel Chagford Part 2, (1974)

End of official list entry

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