The Old School House Approximately 7 Metres North-west of Yeo Farmhouse

Details

CHAGFORD SX 68 NE

3/60 The Old School House approximately 7 metres north-west of Yeo 23.12.86 Farmhouse GV II*

Disused school house, originally a detached kitchen or bakehouse. Late C16-early C17. Granite stone rubble laid to rough courses and with large dressed quoins; disused granite stack; corrugated iron roof (formerly thatch). Plan. Small single cell building facing south-south-west, say south. It has a large stack at the left (western) end with the remains of an associated curing chamber to rear and the site of a winder stair towards the front rising over the top of a large side oven. Secondary woodshed on left end. Main block is 2 storeys. Exterior. Front has a doorway a little right of centre; its lintel and jambs made up of large slabs of dressed granite. Secondary porch in front has partly collapsed and lost its monopitch roof. It has rubble walls with stone benches along the inside. To right there is a stone window each floor. Both were 2 lights but are now missing their central mullions. To left of the doorway is a tiny slit window, provided to light the stair. A large millstone leans against the wall below. Roof is gable-ended. Rear wall has a 2-window front of blocked single light windows to the ground floor and a small C19 fixed pane window with glazing bars to the frist floor. The curing chamber has a slit window in each outer wall. Interior. The roof structure was replaced in the late C19-early C20 but otherwise the original interior is well-preserved, if somewhat dilapidated. The crossbeam is soffit-chamfered with worn step stops. The large granite fireplace has a soffit- chamfered oak lintel. On the left side a segmental-headed doorway leads to a large stone-lined oven under the site of the winder stair. On the right side of the fireplace there is an archway through the cheek at hearth level through to the curing chamber the other side. It is now blocked. In the curing chamber this archway shows below a stone shelf. High above there is a plastered niche in the side of the stack which is thought to be where smoke from the curing chamber could join the main five. The Old School House is both attractive and most important. The fireplace with its associated oven and curing chamber show that this was a working building, a detached kitchen or bakehouse with accommodation or storage space above. Purpose-built buildings of this size and date are of national importance when they are this well- preserved. Great care should be taken to preserve the buildings integrity during any renovation work here. Furthermore it is one of a fine group of associated farm and mill buildings which include the farmhouse (q.v.)., the office and garden railings (q.v.), mill (q.v.), smithy (kq.v.) and barn (q.v.). In the C19 the road was diverted south of the farm but before that used to run through the farmyard and therefore the Old School House would have fronted onto the road. The farm has been in the hands of the Perryman family since circa 1450. Source: E Mercer. English Vernacular Houses (1975) Fig. 22, p.148.

Listing NGR: SX7027987950

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

94627

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Mercer, Eric, English Vernacular Houses, (1975), 148

End of official list entry

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