Whimple Farmhouse

Whimple Farmhouse

A farmhouse dating from the early 17th century, with alterations and an addition dated 1670, and further additions from the mid and later 19th century and 20th century alterations. The building is constructed of slatestone rubble, rendered and painted, with granite dressings. It has a slate roof with ridge tiles and gable ends. Gable end stacks with brick shaft to the left and rendered shaft to the right; there is also a rear lateral stack in rubble.

The plan follows a 3-room and through passage arrangement, with the lower end room to the right, hall and inner room to the left. The lower end room is heated from a gable end stack, the hall from a rear lateral stack, and the inner room from a gable end stack. A stair tower stands to the rear of the hall, and another to the rear of the lower end room, with the latter probably an addition of the later 17th century. In 1670, a porch was added to the front of the passage, probably originally gabled with a full upper chamber. Evidence of this is shown by a truncated hood mould to the window at ground floor to the right, indicating the porch was added after the initial construction. At around the same time, a small 2-storey addition of single-room plan was built to the rear of the inner room, unheated and possibly originally used as a dairy with a loft. Slightly later, a small barn was added to the rear of the dairy, built into the bank. Probably in the mid 19th century, a second barn was added to the rear of the dairy range with a cart shed at the end, enclosing the left side of the rear yard. About the same time, a small 2-storey barn was added to the right side of the lower room. Probably later in the 19th century, a 2-storey lean-to was added to the rear between the two stair towers, enclosing the rear lateral stack to the hall and the rear doorway to the passage. A further single storey lean-to was added to the rear of this. Probably in the mid 20th century, the partition wall between the hall and inner room was removed.

The exterior presents 2 storeys with an asymmetrical 4-window front. The porch has a pitched roof with single lights to the right and left at upper level. The ground floor features a chamfered granite lancet to the right. The front doorway is in granite with a 4-centred arch, roll-moulded with scroll-carved flat stops and hood mould, with a datestone over. The door is 19th century with battens and strap hinges. The upper end to the left has two 3-light 20th century casements at ground and first floor, with a central 20th century window at first floor. The lower end to the right has a 4-light chamfered granite window at ground floor with king mullion remaining, stoolings for other mullions and 20th century casements, and a truncated hood mould. A 20th century 2-light casement is positioned to the right. At first floor there is a similar 3-light chamfered granite window with stoolings for mullions and 20th century casements, and a hood mould. Attached to the right is a lower 2-storey barn with 20th century 2-light casements at ground and first floor. The right end has a half-hipped roof to the barn. At the left end stands an external stack built into the bank. The dairy addition has a ground floor 2-light casement and first floor 2-light casement with granite cill. The first barn is built into the bank, with a door and a small single light in a chamfered granite surround. At the end of the dairy range stands the later 19th century barn and cart shed. The inner side of the barn has a half-hipped roof with external steps to a door with flat stone arch. An open-fronted cart shed of 3 bays is attached to the end of the barn, with plain granite piers supporting the roof and a gable end. The rear of this barn has double doors with timber lintel and 2 ventilation slits at upper ground level. The gable end of the barn is at the outer side with double doors. At the inner side, the dairy range has a single unglazed window in a chamfered granite surround and a 2-light casement at first floor. The inner side of the early barn has a chamfered ventilation slit and door with a 2-light window above. A joint is visible between the dairy and the inner room. The barn and dairy have a continuous 18th century roof. At the rear of the main house, the lower end has a chamfered granite 2-light window with only jambs and cill remaining and 20th century casements. The lower end stair tower has a pitched roof with a 2-light chamfered granite window at ground floor with dripstone and a single light at first floor. Of the hall stair tower, only a 2-light casement at first floor is visible, along with a door at ground floor. Between the towers stands a 2-storey lean-to, with a further 20th century single storey lean-to with door and 2 windows. The rear of the barn attached to the lower end has 2 20th century doors and a 20th century casement at ground and first floor.

Interior: The hall and inner room are now one room, with roughly hewn ceiling beams. The gable end fireplace has moulded granite jambs and lintel, repositioned, with a timber lintel above. The granite lintel has a vestigial ogee with roundel. A stone floor is present. The rear lateral fireplace to the hall is rebuilt in the 20th century. The stair tower to the rear of the hall contains a 19th century dog-leg stair. In the through passage, there is a panelled 19th century screen to each side. The front doorway has a flat granite lintel, chamfered with pyramid stops to the jambs, and a stone floor. The lower end room has a blocked gable end fireplace and 19th century ceiling beams.