East Berriow

EAST BERRIOW

A stone-built house of probably early 16th-century date, possibly with earlier origins, situated in North Hill. The building is constructed of stone rubble with varying masonry techniques, including laced courses of slate stone and granite. The rear elevation is painted. The roof is bitumen-coated slate with gable ends and some early crested ridge tiles. Stone rubble end stacks are present, with a cloam oven projection to the right-hand stack.

The original arrangement of the plan is uncertain, but the house currently follows a 2-room and through-passage layout with a large room (probably the hall) on the left and a smaller room on the right, both heated by end stacks. A thick stone rubble cross wall on the lower right-hand side of the passage continues up to first-floor level. A plaster partition on the higher left-hand side of the passage may cover or replace an earlier screen. It is possible that part of the house may originally have been open to the roof. The ceiling beams in the hall are multiply moulded, suggesting a late 16th-century date for the flooring of the hall. Several pieces of blackened roof trusses, now reset in the right-hand room to support the ceiling beams, suggest the roof structure was replaced at the same period as the flooring of the right-hand room. The porch in front of the entrance and stair turret are probably late 16th or early 17th century in date.

The exterior is of two storeys. A porch to the right of centre is built of granite rubble with large dressed granite quoins and a lean-to slate roof. It contains a chamfered granite 4-centred arch with flat stops. A granite open channel or runnel runs outside to the front right. To the right is a 2-light mullion window with leaded glass and hood mould. A square-plan stair projection to the left of the porch is lit by a 19th-century 20-pane sash. A renewed 20-pane sash occupies the far left, with a 6-pane sash above. Several straight joints and blocked openings are visible in this elevation, reflecting different masonry techniques. The rear elevation is of 2 storeys with an asymmetrical 3-window front. A straight joint appears to the right of centre. A 4-centred hollow chamfered granite arch with stepped stops is present. A 20th-century window to the left and a 2-light mullion window to the right (with the mullion now removed) are visible. A 20-pane sash occupies the far right. The first floor has two 20-pane sashes flanking a 2-light casement.

The interior contains a hollow chamfered granite arch, almost 2-centred in form, to the inner doorway, with stepped stops and drawbar. The through passage is paved with granite flags. The thick cross wall and lath and plaster partition are as described above. The smaller right-hand room has a chamfered timber doorframe partly covered by a later door frame. Above the doorframe are several pieces of possibly sooty reused roof trusses, probably from the earlier roof structure. Adjoining the fireplace is one smoke-blackened truss section which is curved and has a mortice for an arch brace or collar. A massive deep chamfered cross beam with stepped stops is present. The fireplace is of high quality ashlar stone with multiply moulded lintel and jambs; the right-hand jamb has been reset.

In the hall, the two cross beams are multiply moulded with two hollow chamfers flanking an ovolo mould. The floor joists are also moulded with cavetto and ovolo moulds; both beams and joists have stepped stops. On the higher side, the joists have been partly replaced. The lower right-hand side of the cross beam nearest the passage, which functions as a bressummer for a jetty-type arrangement, is unmoulded and covered by plaster. The partition above this beam continues up into the roof structure to below collar level, and the first-floor level changes correspondingly. However, as both cross beams have identical moulding, a jetty is considered unlikely. The hall fireplace has been remodelled and an internal partition inserted to divide the hall. On the rear wall is a granite corbelled bracket which appears to predate the flooring of the hall; it may have been a shelf for a candle or alternatively a corbel to support the foot of a cruck truss.

A circa 17th-century stair in the square-plan turret has radiating treads from a central solid core. The roof structure appears to have been replaced in the 17th century. Four trusses are halved, lapped and pegged at the apices, with trenched purlins and slightly cambered collars halved, lap-jointed and pegged onto the face of the principals. Later roof structure, of circa late 18th or 19th century date, lies above. Two pieces of blackened timber appear to have been reused in the 17th-century roof structure in the partition above the putative jetty-type arrangement: one is unmoulded whilst the other is a piece of reset muntin which is moulded and grooved.

The house is recorded as having belonged to Sampson Jakeman in the time of Mary I. Jakeman was prosecuted for his support of Elizabeth I. This is a particularly interesting and unusual survival for Cornwall. A full detailed survey may enable a fuller analysis of the development of the plan.