Old Harp House

Details

SOUTH PETHERTON

1625/0/10001 OVER STRATTON 04-JAN-06 Old Harp House

II DESCRIPTION: Old Harp House is of C17 date, possibly earlier, with later alterations. The building is constructed of South Petherton coursed rubble with Ham stone quoins and window dressings with brick gable end stacks. The pantile roof is a C19 replacement of the original thatch. Single depth plan. The building is of two storeys and four bays. On the southern front the windows have hollow chamfered Hamstone mullions with flat surrounds and there is a continuous drip-mould to the ground floor which is stepped over the doorway. All windows are 3-light apart from two to the left of the doorway which are smaller 2-light and set one course beneath the drip mould. The doorway has a four-centred depressed head and ovolo moulded jambs. The left (west) reveal has one first floor 2-light mullion window with drip mould; its red discolouration due to fire damage. Blank right reveal. There are two 3-light mullion windows to the rear at the eastern end, the other windows being C19 wooden and C20 metal casements. The projecting square stair turret sits just to the right of centre and has a single pierced-stone window. The wooden door with large wrought iron nails described in the SVBRG report had been removed prior to inspection (2005), but has been retained for possible future reinstatement. Internally, the kitchen lies to the east of the cross passage, to the west unheated service with stair, and parlour. There is some speculation that the central unheated room may have originally been the hall. All the beams and half beams have deep chamfers with step and run-out stops, although some are modern replicas. The fire surround to the western end is a large C17 Ham stone four-centred surround with incised spandrels. The smaller, beaded Ham stone fire surround to the eastern end is a later insertion into what was originally an open hearth. The left side of the cambered timber bressummer remained until recently and has been replaced with a modern replica. The stairs have winders of Ham stone refronted with blue Lias. Wattle and daub partitions survive to both sides of the cross-passage which is floored with Ham stone flags. Some window seats retain raised and fielded panelling.

HISTORY: The house appears to have been refronted, probably in the C17, and the floor level lowered. The roof and stacks were rebuilt in the C19 after a fire, evidence of which is manifest in the red discolouration of some of the stonework.

Summary of importance: Old Harp House is a good example of a C17 farmhouse. It has been suggested by the local vernacular architecture group that the original plan form may have had a central unheated Hall. This is certainly unusual, but other examples have been recorded in the county. Notwithstanding this, the building is emminently of listable quality retaining many of its original featres with a distinctive facade. It certainly merits inclusion on the list at Grade II.

Sources: Survey report by Somerset Vernacular Building Research Group, August 2005

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