Kernick Farmhouse

Kernick Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating from approximately the late 16th century, likely with earlier origins, and extended in the early 17th century. It is constructed of stone rubble with a slate roof featuring gable ends and at least one early crested ridge tile. The farmhouse has stone rubble axial stacks and brick shafts to end stacks. The original plan is uncertain, but it likely began as a two-room plan with a through passage, heated by end stacks, with the larger room on the left. An additional wing, possibly containing one or two rooms, was added to the front left side in the early 17th century, featuring a fireplace in the end wall. An 18th and 19th-century service outshut was added to the rear. In the early 19th century, the larger room on the left was remodelled, with the passage and the right side of that room partially divided to create a dairy, along with a passage across the front of the house for access. The front left wing was converted into a barn in the 19th century and the front wall was partly rebuilt, before reverting to domestic use in the late 20th century. The front of the main range has an asymmetrical appearance, with three windows and a 20th-century front door. 19th-century casement windows with 4-centred arched headed lights within square headed frames are present; a 2-light casement is on the left and a 3-light casement is on the right, with three 2-light casements on the first floor. The left-hand wing has 20th-century glazed double doors within a wide 19th-century barn door opening and two 2-light casements on the first floor. The through passage has been altered, although the front and rear door openings have been retained. The cross wall on the right hand side extends to the first floor, with a thinner wall above continuing to the apex. The right-hand room contains one heavy, unchamfered cross beam and one chamfered cross beam with stepped stops. A 20th-century fireplace is present. Floor joists are concealed by the plaster ceiling. The partition on the left-hand side of the passage has been removed. A 19th-century dairy occupies the central room, and the left-hand room has an end stack with a remodelled 20th-century fireplace. Closely set, heavy, unmoulded floor joists are also visible. The front left-hand wing has been re-floored, but retains a 17th-century chamfered timber lintel to the fireplace and a cloam oven. The roof structure of the left-hand wing was replaced in the 20th century, while the structure above the right-hand room of the main range was replaced in the 18th or early 19th century. The 17th-century roof structure above the passage and left-hand room has morticed principals at the apices, lap-jointed and pegged collars, and almost flush joints. At least one purlin appears soot blackened. The C17 roof probably reuses timber from an earlier roof.