Medros Farmhouse Methrose Farmhouse

These two farmhouses, formerly a single dwelling known as Methrose, form an exceptionally fine example of a medieval Cornish farmhouse with a surviving open hall and many internal features of interest from all phases of development.

Origins and Early Development

The original farmhouse was built around 1400 as a typical late-medieval dwelling with a through passage. The plan consisted of a lower end room to the right, heated by a gable end stack, an open hall to the left, and an inner room at the end left, probably originally heated by a gable end stack (the thickness of the wall at this point indicates a possible flue position). A recess in the rear wall of the hall may mark the position of the original hall window from the 15th century, before the projecting hall bay was built in the early 16th century. This window may have been closed as part of a re-orientation of the house, with the reconstruction of what is now the rear through passage doorway. The rear passage doorway may have originally been similar to the surviving doorway from the passage to the lower end room.

In the early 16th century, significant additions were made. The hall bay and front lateral stack were built, and at this time the house may have been entered from the north, with the parlour wing and courtyard to the rear south. A parlour wing of one-room plan and two storeys was built at right angles in front of the inner room. The ground floor room was heated by a gable end stack to the outer side, and the first floor room by a gable end stack at the junction with the inner room, with access through a door in the front corner of the hall. The parlour wing has a stair tower to the outer side, probably part of the original build.

17th-Century Remodelling

In 1676, the parlour wing was substantially remodelled, as dated on plasterwork in the upper chamber. A barrel vault ceiling was installed in the upper chamber (now concealed), and additional panelling was added to the ground floor room, of which only the frieze survives.

In the late 17th century, a rear kitchen block of two-room plan was added to the rear of the parlour wing, heated by a stack to the outer side. Perhaps at this time the original inner room took on its present use as pantries. A single storey outhouse or dairy was added to the rear of the lower end room, possibly in the late 17th century, with an open through passage. Other later additions include a single storey rubble addition to the gable end of the lower end as an outhouse, and a single storey outshut to the rear of the hall, concealing the rear passage door. In the late 18th or early 19th century, a straight stair was inserted in the lower end room along the front wall.

Division into Two Dwellings

The house has been divided into two properties: the hall and lower end now form Medros, while the parlour wing and original inner room comprise Methrose. The house could possibly have been used in this way in the late 17th century, as it is possible that the lower end and the later kitchen would have provided facilities for two families.

Construction and Materials

The building is constructed of granite rubble, with the parlour wing, hall bay and stacks in granite ashlar with granite dressings. The roofs are partly rendered Spanish slate, with a front lateral stack to the later kitchen. The house was re-roofed in the late 20th century.

Exterior Description

The early range is partly of two storeys, with a single storey hall to the left and two-storey lower end to the right, all under one sloping roof-line. The first floor rooms are over the entry and the lower end, mostly in the roof space.

The porch is of squared rubble with pitched slate roof and stone benches to the sides. The inner door is four-panelled, set in an opening which was possibly originally wider. Above is a raking dormer in a chamfered granite surround, probably re-sited, with stoolings for two mullions.

The lower end has a four-pane light with slate cill at ground floor and a two-light casement of three panes each light under the eaves. There is a brick stack at the gable end. The hall to the left has a front lateral external stack in granite ashlar with weathering and a tall ashlar shaft with cornice. The roof level is slightly raised over the canted hall bay to the left, which has three lights to the front and one to the right side, with chamfered mullions and concave moulded surround. The bay contains 20th-century stained glass. The left side of the bay butts against the parlour wing.

The right gable end of the lower end has a single storey rubble addition, renewed in 20th-century concrete blocks with corrugated iron roof. The front has a blocked window with chamfered granite cill.

To the rear, the lower end has at ground floor a 20th-century two-light casement and eight-pane light with slate cills, and a small two-light casement under the eaves. Attached to the rear of the lower end is a single storey rubble outhouse or dairy with slurried slate roof, which has an open through passage and an unglazed window under the eaves to the rear.

The rear of the passage and hall has a single storey rendered outshut with two 20th-century windows to the rear and a door and window to the side. This encloses the rear of the through passage. To the right is the rear of the original inner room, with a two-light window opening at ground floor (one side glazed and one side as a ventilation window to the pantry) and a raking dormer above with six-pane sash.

The parlour wing is of two storeys. The front is in granite ashlar, the right gable end and rear in rubble, with the left gable end rendered. At the front, the ground floor has a continuous hood mould over two windows (four-light and two-light), both with chamfered mullions and surround, with some iron stanchions remaining. The first floor has a three-light similar window without hood moulds and varied glazing, including some leaded lights. Each gable end has a granite ashlar stack with cornice and shaped top. The left gable end has raised coped verges and a blocked single light at first floor left with chamfered granite surround. The right gable end has a moulded string course at upper level.

The rear has the roof pitch extended to the left over the stair tower, which has the rear wall partially rebuilt in 20th-century concrete blocks, with a 20th-century half-glazed door and four-pane light.

Attached to the rear left and in the same axis as the parlour wing is the late 17th-century kitchen block, which extends as far as the stair tower. This is single storey, with a large four-pane sash on the side facing the stair tower. It was re-roofed in the early 20th century with a pitched roof of corrugated iron and a brick stack to the rear. The gable end extends beyond the rear wall of the early range, and on the inner side there is a plain door and four-pane casement in a chamfered granite surround with remains of a central mullion.

Interior Features

The front door to the passage has fleur-de-lys strap hinges to the inner side. The rear passage doorway is moulded on the outer side with wave moulding and hood mould, and cushion and diavolo stops. The doorway in the passage to the right, leading to the lower end room, is of three pieces of wood, chamfered, with a rounded arched head—a rare survival of a primitive doorway type.

The lower end room has a gable end fireplace, rebuilt in the 20th century, formerly with an oven. The windows to front and rear have chamfered cills. A straight stair runs to the front of the room.

The hall has a two-bay arched brace roof with internal jetty to the passage side. The wall above the jetty is of stud construction, with beams under the jetty having stops at each end. There is a stud wall to the passage and a granite floor. The recess in the rear wall, formerly the site of a window, has an 18th-century cupboard inserted with lift-and-hang hinges. The front lateral fireplace has a roll-moulded lintel and jambs with vestigial ogee and flat stops. A granite candle bracket is positioned to the side of the moulded doorframe to the doorway to the original inner room. A granite doorway with three-centred arch, hollow-chamfered with domed stops, leads to the parlour wing, with a plain door having strap hinges on the parlour side. Along the outer side of the hall is the high seat with panelled back and panels along the top with carved leaves and flowers.

In the parlour wing, the ground floor room has a framed ceiling of four bays with heavy moulded beams, probably from the early 16th century. There is a carved wood frieze, formerly with lower panelling, probably from the 17th-century remodelling of the parlour wing. The fireplace in the outer gable end wall is 20th century. The room was divided in the late 19th century, forming a passage from the entrance to the hall to the rear stair tower.

To the rear of the passage, the doorway to the original inner room is moulded with bar and scroll stops, and has a narrow panelled door with heart-shaped catch. The stair tower has a winder stair with bobbin-turned balusters and turned newels from the 17th century. From the landing, there is a doorway to the room over the inner room, with a four-panelled door in a similar moulded frame with pyramid stops. At the top of the stair is a doorframe with bar and scroll stops.

The room over the parlour has a plaster overmantel dated 1676 with a coat of arms showing a quartering of the Kendal family, with shield and helm over, scrolled leaves and pilasters. A lower ceiling was inserted in the late 19th or early 20th century; the barrel vault remains in the roof space, with trusses removed but moulded purlins remaining.

The later 17th-century kitchen has a fireplace on the outer wall with a flat granite lintel, hollow-chamfered, with handle-holes cut in the early 20th century for a stove.

The inner room is used as pantries, partitioned in two. There is one beam, chamfered with run-out stops, and the window also has a wooden lintel, chamfered with run-out stops. The width of the wall at what was originally the gable end indicates a former flue for a gable end fireplace, now blocked.

Architectural Significance

The house can be compared with the Old Post Office, Tintagel and Truthall, Sithney, for similar hall roofs.

Historical Associations

John Wesley was a friend of the then farmer, Mr Meager, and stayed here five or six times between 1755 and 1778.

The courtyard walls, which are essential to the character of the house, are listed as a separate item.