Body'S Court

BODY'S COURT

Farmhouse, now house. Early 17th century, with alterations of later 17th century, and later alterations and additions.

The building is constructed of granite and slatestone rubble, partly rendered and partly painted, with granite dressings. The roof is asbestos slate, hipped in two ranges, with an end stack to the left (formerly at the left gable end) and an axial hall stack in granite ashlar with cornice and shaped top.

The plan consists of a 2-room layout with cross passage. From the original back of the house, the hall is positioned to the right, heated by an axial stack backing onto the passage, and the lower end room is to the left, heated by a gable end stack. A stair tower was added to the rear of the passage, which appears to have been constructed at the same time as a one-room plan addition to the rear of the hall, since access to the stair tower is through this room. The additional room is heated from a stack at the outer side and has been considerably remodelled in the circa 19th century. Part of the lower end room to the front has been partitioned as a dairy with a built-in stone trough.

The exterior presents 2 storeys with an asymmetrical front, probably originally the back of the house. The doorway to the passage has a chamfered granite surround with a segmental arch with carved leaves over, moulded jambs with step stops, and a 20th century door. A 16-pane light sits above. To the right is a chamfered granite 2-light window with hood mould and casements, probably originally the back window of the hall. At first floor an inserted 20th century 2-light casement is present; to the right there is a blocked window at first floor, visible internally. The wall steps forward to the lower end to the left, with a 2-light casement at ground floor with 20th century granite cill and lintel, and a 20th century casement at first floor to the left. The right end has a 3-light casement at ground floor with 20th century granite lintel and a 19th century 12-pane sash at first floor, inserted when the chamber over the hall was partitioned. At the left end is a single-light storey lean-to porch. At the rear, the lower end features a 3-light 20th century casement at ground and first floor and a 2-light casement to the left at mid-level. To the left, the inner side of the stair tower has a 4-pane light and 12-pane sash; the rear has a ground floor 19th century 12-pane sash and 4-panelled door, with two 12-pane sashes at first floor.

The lower end room to the left has a 20th century slate floor. The dairy is very small, and the stone trough appears to have been built into the foundations of the house. The passage has a 20th century slate floor and a 19th century inserted newel stair to the rear. A doorway with a wooden ovolo-moulded frame opens to the hall to the rear right. The hall has a slate floor with a fireplace featuring granite jambs and a flat lintel carved with vestigial ogee forming three sections, decorated with carved oak leaves and animals, possibly sheep and fishes. A cloam oven has been inserted to the rear left. The beams are chamfered and step stopped. The wall between the hall and the rear room is a stud partition; this room gives access to the stair tower, which has a rebuilt winder stair. On the first floor, the chamber over the hall has a granite fireplace with moulded jambs and flat lintel, featuring a vestigial ogee with carved leaves. A blocked window at the front of the room has splayed reveals; the window to the front is a later insertion, made when the room was partitioned and the sash inserted in the right end. The feet of the principals are visible, chamfered and straight. A small chamber over the passage contains a keeping hole. The roof over the hall and the rear room was raised and rebuilt as one in circa 19th century. Two early trusses remain over the hall, with principal rafters halved and pegged, and cambered collars also halved and pegged to the principals; the principals are chamfered up to collar level and formerly had threaded purlins. The roof over the lower end is probably 18th century, with principal rafters halved and pegged but not chamfered.