Details
ST NEOT
SX 17 SE
4/111 Mennabroom Farmhouse
-
27.8.52
GV II
Farmhouse. Late C16 - early C17; extended in mid C17, with later additions and some
C20 alterations. Granite rubble with granite dressings. Bitumenised slate roof with
ridge tiles and gable ends; gable end stack to left, now in axial position, with
rubble shaft, slate cornice and shaped top; rear lateral stack in rubble with shaped
top.
Plan: The house was originally a 3 room and through passage plan; lower end room
(demolished) to right, with passage, hall to left heated by rear lateral stack and
inner room to end left, heated by gable end stack. If there were an early stair, its
position is no longer clear. In the mid C17, the front of the house was extended;
the passage was extended forwards, and a stair tower added to the front of the hall;
this created a small unheated pantry/dairy under the stair, with access from the
passage. To the left of the stair tower the hall was also extended with a hall bay.
This front addition extends to the front of the inner room, with a single storey
porch, as a lean-to; this has a door to the side and gives access directly into the
extended hall bay. Probably in the late C18 or early C19, a stable with loft over
was added to the left end; this has always been unheated. Probably later in the C19
or early C20, a lean-to of single storey was added to the front of the stable
adjoining the mid C17 porch lean-to. The date of the demolition of the lower end is
uncertain; the stable was only converted as a kitchen in mid C20, and there is no
evidence of C19 use of the hall fireplace for cooking; the passage is said to have
been used as a kitchen. The lower end was probably demolished in mid-late C19, with
some rebuilding of the lower end wall.
Exterior: 2 storeys, asymmetrical 4-window front; all windows except the hall bay
window are C20 casements. The passage doorway is to end right; a chamfered granite
lintel survives, and roughly hewn granite jambs, with 2-light casement inserted; 2-
light casement above at first floor. To the left are 2 staggered single lights with
granite lintels; the lower 1 to right lights the pantry, and the upper 1 the stair
tower. To the left, the hall bay has a small gable over the first floor;at ground
floor there is a 2-light chamfered granite casement with hoodmould, 2-light casement
above. To the left is the porch lean-to, with door and C20 window; above this at
first floor, the wall steps back to the original line, and there is a 2-light
casement with small gable over, lighting the chamber over the inner room. The
straight joint to the stable is concealed by the lean-to, which has a wide C20 window
to left and corrugated plastic roof; inside the lean-to there is a 2-light casement
and door. The right gable end is partly rendered at the upper level; 2-light
casement at ground floor and 3-light casement at first floor. The left end is built
into the bank, with a C20 window in the gable end, formerly a loading door for the
stable loft. At the rear, the passage doorway is to left; this is in granite, with
inner segmental chamfered arch, flat granite lintel above and buttress to right and
left; the buttresses would have been added at the time the lower end was demolished.
To the right is the rear lateral stack of the hall, with 2-light casement at ground
and first floor to right of the stack. The rear of the inner room has a large 2-
light casement at ground floor. Straight joint to right to the stable, with 2 C20
windows.
Interior: The passage has a slate floor; the end of the passage which has not been
extended is at a higher ceiling level, with roughly hewn cross beams; granite
monolith to 1 side supporting the rear lateral stack. The front of the passage is
extended for the dairy/pantry; the doorway to this has a granite lintel and jamb,
dairy has slate floor and shelves; granite lintel in wall between the dairy and the
hall. To the left of the passage is a granite segmental-arched doorway to the hall,
chamfered, with pintles remaining on the inner side. The hall has a granite
fireplace, with heavy chamfered flat lintel and roughly hewn jambs; there may be a
niche to right, blocked. Ceiling beams replaced in C20, except 1 cambered and
chamfered beam across the step up to the extended hall bay. The window of the hall
bay is chamfered on the inside, with pintles for shutters; slate floor. Stair tower
has stone newel stair around an S-bend. 4 steps up and a C19 4-panelled door to the
inner room, ceiled, with end fireplace rebuilt in C20. At first floor, there is a
small unheated chamber over the dairy and front passage. Hall chamber partitioned in
C20.
The roof over the inner room is visible at first floor, with C19 principal rafters
and 1 row of trenched purlins. The hall roof is of 3 bays, 2 trusses remaining, not
chamfered, with principal rafters halved and pegged at the apex, 1 row of trenched
prulins, very cambered collars pegged to the faces of the principal rafters with 3
pegs.
Source: Mercer, E: English Vernacular Houses (45) p. 144
Listing NGR: SX1630270567
