Former cider house approximately 40m south-west of Covenhope Farm

Covenhope Farm, Aymestrey, Leominster, Leominster, HR6 9SY

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

A cider house dating from the C17. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1430477
Date first listed:: 07-Oct-2015
List Entry Name:: Former cider house approximately 40m south-west of Covenhope Farm
Statutory Address:: Covenhope Farm, Aymestrey, Leominster, Leominster, HR6 9SY

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1430477
Date first listed:: 07-Oct-2015
List Entry Name:: Former cider house approximately 40m south-west of Covenhope Farm
Statutory Address 1:: Covenhope Farm, Aymestrey, Leominster, Leominster, HR6 9SY

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: Covenhope Farm, Aymestrey, Leominster, Leominster, HR6 9SY

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: County of Herefordshire (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Aymestrey
National Grid Reference:: SO4074664197

Summary

A cider house dating from the C17.

Reasons for Designation

The former cider house at Covenhope Farm is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Degree of survival: the building retains a high proportion of original and historic fabric with remarkably few alterations; * Historic interest: its use as a cider house contributes to our understanding of regional farming practices; * Graffiti: the Second World War graffiti evidences an interesting later phase of use.

History

Covenhope Farm is a complex of farm buildings with farmhouse dating from the C17 and C18, with later alterations and additions. The farmstead stands in a secluded valley west of the parish centre of Aymestrey. The farmhouse, which stands on the southern flank of the farmyard, is understood to retain some timber framing internally and is much altered externally. The farm buildings form a loose courtyard layout and comprise of a C17 threshing barn with attached ranges which date from the C17 and are partially rebuilt. A further C17 barns stands to the west, with a C17 cider house approximately 40m south-west of the farmhouse.

These buildings form a group and are depicted on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map from 1886. At that time the cider house stood within an orchard. A wing which projected from its southern elevation was demolished in the C20.

The farmhouse, eastern courtyard range and western barn are not of special interest, they have undergone considerable alteration and although partially dating from the C17, much of the buildings’ original character has been lost through this and adaptation.

Details

A cider house dating from the C17.

MATERIALS: the cider house is of timber framed construction with a stone base. The roof is of clay tiles.

PLAN: the building is alighed roughly east - west and is rectangular in plan.

EXTERIOR: the north and south elevations of the cider house consist of twelve panels of square timber framing, which sit upon a high stone base. Due to the topography of the site, the base is higher on the south elevation than the north. The framing is two bays high on the south elevation, with riven lath and daub infill to most of the panels, although some has been lost. Right of the centre, two bays contain timber boarding rather than wattle and daub. At the western end of the elevation, there is evidence of a former structure, lower in height, which abutted the building here and contained the cider press. In the stone base there are two doorways, one roughly central and one at the northern end. These have timber lintels; some stone is missing above both doorways.

The west elevation is four bays wide, also formed of timber framing on the stone plinth with diagonal braces at the apex. The east elevation is formed of five bays, narrower than those on the west, with an opening positioned centrally within the plinth.

The north elevation is similar to the south, albeit lower due to the sloping nature of the site. It has a timber door left of the centre, with two timber boarded openings flanking at eaves level.

INTERIOR: the cider house is of three storeys internally. The lower ground floor, accessed from the south, is a single space with stone walls and timber ceilings formed of the floor structure above. The main ground floor, accessed from the north, is also a single space with a later inserted stair providing access to the attic level. The square panel timber framing with wattle and daub infill mostly survives throughout, as do the floor structures, although some timber appears to have been replaced.

The roof is constructed of principal rafters and tie beams with collar and struts. Some panels have wattle and daub infill and some weatherboarding. Some of the panels and timbers are inscribed with graffiti said to date from the Second World War.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: a stone cider press and wheel lie on the ground adjacent to the southern elevation of the cider house.

Sources

Books and journals
Brunskill, R W, Timber Building in Britain, (1994)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Herefordshire, (2003)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.