Tregonan Farmhouse

Tregonan Farmhouse

A farmhouse of late 17th to early 18th century date, probably built on an earlier foundation. The building underwent significant alterations in the later 18th century, and a front range was added in the early to mid 19th century. Further additions and alterations followed in the 19th century, with some modifications in the 20th century.

The farmhouse is constructed of slatestone rubble with the front range rendered. The roof is of asbestos slate with ridge tiles and gable ends. Gable end stacks have rendered shafts with brick shafts.

The original rear range survives from the early phase of construction. This comprises a room to the right heated from a gable end stack, a room to the left heated from a rear lateral stack, and a central stair hall. A rear wing to the left, of single-room plan, probably dates to the same period. In the early to mid 19th century, a front parallel range was added with a central entrance and rooms to right and left, each heated from a gable end stack. The room to the rear left serves as the kitchen, with a rear wing behind it that was originally an outshut or stable. The stair hall to the rear centre was remodelled in the late 18th to early 19th century.

The exterior presents two storeys with a symmetrical 4-window front. All windows are 20th century 3-light metal-framed casements. The central entrance is a 4-panelled glazed door of 19th century date, set within an 18th century stone doorcase with fluted Ionic pilasters and a segmental pediment; this doorcase was probably reused from the earlier house. The ground floor windows at right and left have cambered brick arches, as do the four smaller windows at first floor. Blind gable ends appear at the right end. The left end displays the rear range with a large external stack and 3-light casements with cambered brick arches at ground and first floor. The front range has a 3-light casement at first floor to the right and an adjoining single-storey lean-to. The rear elevation of the main range shows a 6-panelled 19th century door with a flat hood on wooden posts and an 18th century round-arched stair light above it, which is a 15-pane sash with splayed glazing bars. To the left at ground and first floor are 20th century 3-light casements with cambered brick arches; a blocked window appears at first floor to the right. The attached rear wing is of single storey with loft space, featuring a 20th century 3-light casement at ground floor on the inner side. The rear end of the wing has a hipped roof and granite quoins, with two 20th century windows at ground floor and one 20th century casement at first floor. A single-storey 19th century open-fronted lean-to stands at the rear with an inner plank door.

The interior of the front range includes a central entrance hall with 19th century 4-panelled doors to right and left. The front left room contains an early 19th century black marble chimneypiece. In the room to the front right, the original front external wall of the early house is exposed, retaining an early 18th century window opening with granite jambs and voussoirs. To the rear right, the room was partitioned in the early 18th century; the main room has an 8-panelled fielded door, and there is a rear closet with a 2-panelled door. Between the closet and the main room is an internal 18th century 16-pane sash with crown glass. The rear stair hall features an early 19th century open-well stair with stick balusters and a wreathed handrail. The room to the rear left has an early 18th century 8-panelled fielded door, with hooks remaining in the ceiling. At first floor, the rooms in the rear range have early 18th century 2-panelled doors. The room to the rear left features a rear lateral fireplace with a stone bolection-moulded chimneypiece complete with pilasters and overmantel, some original panelling and a dado rail; the fireplace has a 19th century cast iron grate. This room was formerly larger, with the front part now partitioned as a bathroom. A doorway at the rear of the room leads to a dog-leg stair into the rear wing.

The roof structure has been substantially rebuilt, though some trusses of circa early 18th century date survive, characterised by roughly hewn principal rafters that are halved and pegged. A dovecot formerly described in earlier documentation no longer remains.