Rectory Farmhouse

Rectory Farmhouse

A farmhouse of stone rubble construction with some cob, colourwashed and rendered to the front, with a Delabole slate roof featuring gable ends, brick ridge chimney, and stone chimney at the right gable end. The building has a complex building history spanning from the 14th century through to the 20th century, with major phases of remodelling in the 15th century, alterations in the 16th century, additions in the 17th century, further alterations and additions in the 19th century, and renovations in the 20th century.

The house retains remains of a 14th-century spere truss from the original hall house, which was retained during the 15th-century rebuild. The 15th-century house had heating at the higher end above the spere, with the lower end remaining unheated. A stack was inserted into the higher end and the hall was ceiled over during the 16th century. The plan consists of a 3-room arrangement with a cross or through passage and a newel stair set in the wall between the higher and lower ends. A 17th-century front projection was added containing a porch and 17th-century stair. A probable 19th-century addition exists at the higher end, along with a 19th-century rear wing. A rear outshut adjoins the rear wing, and a small leanto adjoining the right gable end may represent the remains of a pantry from the lower end.

The exterior presents an asymmetrical 2-storey, 3 + 1 window front, with 1 window in the front projection. An off-centre 2-storey gabled front projection with deep eaves contains the porch and 17th-century stair. A square-headed stone doorway in the left front of the front projection has a chamfered lintel and jambs below a hoodmould with label stops. The ground floor lower room window on the left is a 3-light casement with glazing bars. The central window is a sash with glazing bars flanked by glazed lights with glazing bars, all with horns. The ground floor window to the left of the porch is a 3-light casement with 6 panes per light. The ground floor window to the right of the porch is a 2-light casement with 6 panes per light. The first floor window left is in a gabled dormer, similar to the ground floor window left. The first floor window to the left of the porch is in a gabled dormer and is a 2-light casement with 6 panes per light. Most of the front windows were replaced during the 1980s reslating, and the first floor window to the left of the porch was reduced in size at this time.

The interior contains slate floors to the ground floor rooms on the left and centre. A fireplace to the middle room is partly blocked, probably concealing earlier features. A flat-arched jointed timber doorway with fillet moulding on the jambs leads into a blocked newel stair in the wall to the left of the lower room. The front projection contains a 17th-century stair with a moulded rail and balusters of both turned and stick types. The 14th-century spere truss between the higher and lower ends features a chamfered crown post and two angled struts, with mortices for additional struts and a crown purlin. Three 15th-century smoke-blackened trusses at the higher end of the spere have chamfered arch braces. The principals are jointed above collar level by lap-notched struts. The trusses have two tiers of threaded purlins and wind bracing. The principals are upper crucks with mortices for a wall plate. An arch brace truss at the lower end of the spere is truncated above the collar and largely concealed behind timbers used for repair. Wind bracing occurs at the lower end of the spere. The rafters of the main roof and roof timbers in the front projection were replaced during the 1980s reslating. Smoke-blackened rafters of the roof are stored in a farm building. The 15th-century trusses have similarities to those at Froxton in Whitestone parish. The other known crown post roof in Cornwall is at Frenchman's Creek Cafe at Fowey.