Ensworthy

Details

SX68 NE GIDLEIGH
1589/3/171 Ensworthy
16-SEP-1987

GV II*

Alternatively known as: GREAT ENSWORTHY, Farmhouse, former Dartmoor longhouse. Late C15-early C16 with major later C16 and C17 improvements; modernised circa 1960 with small extension of that date. Large coursed blocks of granite ashlar, rear outshots and C20 extension of granite stone-rubble; granite stacks, one with its original granite ashlar chimneyshaft, the other replaced with brick; thatch roof, corrugated iron to extension.
Plan and development: 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south-east and built down the hill slope. The inner room was at the uphill left (south-western) end. It was very small and unheated (probably a dairy) and has now been knocked through to enlarge the hall. The hall has a large axial stack backing onto the passage. The service end room has a gable-end stack with a winder stair rising alongside. The present layout is essentially that of the mid C17. The original house however was a Dartmoor longhouse open to the roof from end to end, divided by low partitions and heated by an open hearth fire. The hall fireplace was inserted in the mid or late C16. The house was progressively floored over between the mid C16 and mid C17. The shippon was converted to a parlour in the mid C17; the new stack blocks the original cow door in the right end wall. At the same time the hall was converted to a kitchen.
House is now 2 storeys throughout with secondary outshots across the back and a circa 1960 extension on the lower end. Exterior: regular but not symmetrical 4-window front of C20 replacement casements with glazing bars, the first floor ones enlarged circa 1960 to rise into the thatch with pointed thatch arches over. The front passage doorway is right of centre and is probably late C16-early C17; a Tudor arch with chamfered surround containing an ancient studded oak plank door. The front was apparently faced up with granite ashlar since no evidence of the late medieval fenestration shows. The roof is half-hipped at the upper left end and gable-ended to right. In the downhill right end wall there is a 2-centred arch doorway (the original cow door) which was blocked in the mid C17 by the parlour stack. A part of it is covered by an external stone staircase to the extension on this end. Good interior despite the removal of the upper hall crosswall. The hall has a large granite ashlar fireplace with hollow-chamfered surround. The crossbeam here is plainly soffit-chamfered. The rear passage doorway was reduced in size in the mid C17 when granite doorframe with ovolo-moulded surround was put there (now missing one jamb). The mid C17 parlour in the service end (former shippon). It has plain soffit-chamfered crossbeams and a granite fireplace with a soffit-chamfered and scroll-stopped oak crossbeam. On the first floor only one true crock truss shows but the roofspace shows that others are boxed into the partitions there. All have cambered collars and small yokes at the apexes {Alcock's apex type L1). In fact the one nearest the lower end appears to be an A-frame and have a smaller collar but the apex form is the same and it, like the whole roof including the common rafters and underside of the thatch, is thoroughly smoke-blackened from the open hearth fire. Ensworthy is both an exceptionally attractive and most interesting Dartmoor farmhouse.

Listing NGR: SX6602289496

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

94700

Legacy System:

LBS

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