Lower Pempwell

The Lower Pempwell farmhouse dates to the late 16th century, with extensions added in the 17th and 19th centuries and minor later alterations. It is constructed of roughly coursed slate-stone with granite quoins and dressings, and has a slate roof. The building follows a T-plan, comprising a long range running roughly east-west (the earliest part being at the centre), a west section at an oblique angle to the remainder, and a short range set at right angles to the south-east, extended in the 19th century. The long range has two storeys, while the shorter range has one storey and an attic. The front of the house, facing the road, features two four-paned sash windows on each floor of the long range; the ground floor windows are segmental-headed. A 19th-century casement window is located at the gable end on the first floor. The short range incorporates a two-storey lean-to porch in the angle with the long range. Inside, a 19th-century boarded door, set within a segmental-headed, chamfered wood surround, leads to a through-passage. A gabled dormer breaks the eaves above this passage, with similar dormers to the right, one on the 17th-century section and one on the 19th-century addition. A segmental-headed, 16-paned, horned glazing bar sash window is located to the left of the 19th-century addition on the ground floor. A prominent external end stack is situated to the right. The long range has a tall brown brick ridge stack to the rear, at the point where the alignment of the range and the roof slope change. A flat-roofed, two-storey porch to the rear of the through-passage provides access to a plank door within a chamfered wood surround. One of the long range’s sides contains a three-light leaded window on the ground floor of the 16th-century section. The farmyard side of the long range includes a lean-to, and a three-light flat-faced chamfered leaded mullion window immediately to the right on the ground floor, with a 19th-century casement directly below the eaves above. A set-back section to the centre has a segmental-headed 19th-century casement on the ground floor and another casement directly below the eaves. One section angled to the right has a segmental-headed 19th-century casement on the first floor, with a chamfered four-centred archway below. A doorway with a granite lintel is situated to the right. A brown brick ridge stack marks the eastward termination of the original 16th-century building. Beyond this is a 19th-century dairy with a truncated end stack and a semi-circular brick oven projection. The interior of the 16th-century section displays chamfered cross beams. A 17th-century round-headed wooden doorway leads from the east room of this part to the through-passage. This east room also features an inglenook fireplace with a granite lintel, jambs, and a clom oven.