Churchtown Farmhouse

Churchtown Farmhouse

A farmhouse probably dating from the 16th century, with substantial alterations carried out in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The most significant early addition was a parlour wing dated 1682 by a window label. The building is constructed of colourwashed stone rubble, partly roughcast, with a rag slate roof featuring gabled ends; the front slope of the main range is bitumen-coated. An adjoining lower end outbuilding has exposed stone rubble walls with a corrugated iron roof and gable end.

The original plan consisted of a 3-room layout with a through passage. The lower end to the left functions as an outbuilding, the hall contains a front lateral stack, and the inner room to the right is unheated. The lower end may originally have been a shippon, though it has been substantially rebuilt. A solid partition wall separates the hall at both its higher and lower ends, with another partition on the lower side of the passage; these partitions only rise to first floor level. The partition on the lower side of the passage is notably irregular, and above it sits the only surviving original open truss, which is heavily blackened—though whether from smoke-blackening is uncertain.

The hall ceiling beams and joists are 17th-century work, likely dating to when the hall was floored if it was previously open to the roof. The 1682 parlour wing appears to be contemporary with the hall ceiling insertion, the addition of the front lateral hall stack, and the raising of the roof of the main range. The lower end was rebuilt in the 18th century but retains its original ridge level. Further remodelling occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the insertion of 18th-century doors on the first floor and an early to mid-19th-century framed staircase in the inner room. The original staircase location is unknown.

Various outshots were added to the front and back of the hall, passage, inner room and lower end, probably during the 18th and 19th centuries. The outshot in front of the hall and passage blocked the original passage doorway, necessitating a new doorway inserted into the front of the higher end of the hall through the outshot, which now forms a porch. Twentieth-century alterations include replacement of the roof over the main range and conversion of the lower end into a garage.

The building is 2 storeys with an asymmetrical front of 2 windows plus 1 window in the gable end of the projecting parlour wing. Two 19th-century gabled half-dormers occupy the main range either side of the front lateral chimney stack. A lean-to outshot crosses the front with small 20th-century windows and a lateral panelled door to the right.

The projecting parlour wing to the right features a ground floor 3-light chamfered granite mullion window with hood mould and square label stops dated 1682. A similar but smaller first floor window sits above, also without hood mould. Above that, in the gable, is a small single-light chamfered granite frame window now blocked with slate, all three fenestrations positioned on the left side of the gable end. The inner face of the wing has a 20th-century ground floor casement and a circa late 19th-century 2-light first floor casement with glazing bars. The outer side of the wing leans outward and is supported by 2 large raking masonry buttresses. The end wall of the inner room is straight and set back slightly. This side of the house displays irregular fenestration of 19th and 20th-century small casements and the dairy outshot. The lower gable end of the outbuilding is open with 20th-century garage doors inserted.

Interior features include a hall with chamfered cross beam and joists, all with scroll stops. The lateral fireplace has a chamfered slightly cambered timber lintel and granite jambs; the oven has been partly removed and a 20th-century range inserted. A circa early 19th-century bench, partly flush-panelled and partly boarded, stands at the opposite side and lower end of the hall. The parlour fireplace is reported to have a granite surround but is now concealed. An early to mid-19th-century framed staircase with stick balusters and square newels occupies the inner room. Two 18th-century 2-panel doors are located on the first floor.

The roof structure over the parlour wing consists of hardwood trusses with straight principals crossed, lapped and pegged at the apex, with collars lapped to the faces of the principals. The roof over the main range has bolted softwood trusses. The roof over the lower end has trusses with lapped and pegged apexes and collars. One truss above the partition on the lower side of the passage has square section principals, with one blade featuring a curved foot and the apex containing a mortice and tenon joint; this truss is very dark, though it remains unclear whether this is smoke-blackening.