Trewarmett Farmhouse

Trewarmett Farmhouse

A farmhouse dating from approximately the early 17th century, possibly with earlier origins. The building is constructed of rendered and painted slate stone rubble, with a rag slate roof partly renewed in the 20th century.

The structure comprises a lower range on the left with a gable end to the front left, and a higher range on the right with a gable end on the lower left-hand side and a gable end to the front wing on the right. There are three chimneys: a possibly inserted stone rubble stack renewed in approximately mid-20th century on the lower side of the passage; a rendered stone rubble axial hall stack on the higher side of the passage; and a rendered projecting stone rubble stack to the front wing on the right.

The plan has been substantially altered and the original arrangement is unclear. It is uncertain whether the circa 16th century arch at the entrance to the through passage is original or reused from an earlier house. The roof structure has been largely replaced in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and the joinery is largely mid-17th century and later. The building was possibly originally a 2 or 3 room and through passage house with thick walls continuing up to the apex on the higher and lower side of the passage and on the higher side of the hall. The lower end appears to have been partly rebuilt, evident from straight joints on the lower side of the passage on the front and a more evident straight joint on the higher side of the passage on the rear. The entrance to the through passage has a circa early 16th century arch, and the passage has been widened to form a small room, heated by a possibly inserted stack on the lower side. The wall on the lower side of the passage has been partly rebuilt in approximately mid-20th century, although the fireplace is probably 19th century with a visible bulge for a cloam oven on the lower side. The hall to the right is heated by an axial stack which backs onto the passage with the thick cross wall continuing to the rear of the fireplace, possibly indicating the position of a blocked stair. It is uncertain whether the original house had an inner room; the thick wall on the higher side of the hall may have been an external wall. Alternatively, the large inner room which continues in a front wing heated by an end stack may have originally been much smaller and been extended or rebuilt as a parlour wing in approximately mid-17th century. It is not unusual in this part of Cornwall to find an inner room of almost twice the size of the hall in a circa early 17th century house.

The building is two storeys with an asymmetrical three-window front with the lower range on the left. There is a plank door to the loft on the left. The main range features a 20th century window in an earlier sash opening, a circa 16th century segmental greenstone arch with chamfer and circa 19th century door, and two 2-light casements to the right. The first floor has two 2-light casements in half dormers with raking roofs. To the right is the gable end of the parlour wing with a projecting stack.

Interior features include a circa 19th century fireplace inserted to heat the remodelled passage with a circa late 19th century stair adjoining the fireplace on the rear. The hall is heated by an axial stack which backs onto the passage with a 20th century fireplace. The cross wall is very thick and probably contains a large hall fireplace. The ceiling beams in the hall are roughly chamfered and the heavy cross beam has been reused. The inner room has a 20th century fireplace and some circa 17th century ceiling beams; the other beams are circa 20th century.

The roof structure above the inner room dates from approximately the 18th century, partly renewed in the 19th century, with two trusses halved, lap-jointed and pegged at the apices, with the collars halved, lap-jointed and pegged onto the face of the principals. Above the hall are two trusses of circa early and late 19th century; one truss is bolted and the other is lap-jointed and pegged at the apex with the collar lap-jointed and pegged onto the face of the principals.