Pond Farmhouse

ST 60 NW HILFIELD 4/108 Pond Farmhouse - II

Farmhouse, mid C17. Coursed rubble walls with gable-ended, slate roof with end brick stacks. Symmetrical. 2 storeys and attic, 5 bays, 3-light hollow chamfered stone mullioned windows in ogee moulded surrounds. Central doorway with moulded 4-centred arch in square surround. C19, panelled double door. The ground floor windows have a continuous, returned, hood mould/string course which is stepped up over the door. The rear facade has similar fenestration but each window has a separate returned label. Central doorway appears to be of Portland stone and has a 4-centred, moulded head with continuous jambs in a square surround. West end wall has 2-light mullioned window inserted in a former doorway. C19/C20 stone mullioned window in, east end wall. Internally there are stone, hollow chamfer and ogee moulded, 4-centred arch fireplaces with continuous jambs in square surrounds. An upstairs west fireplace is of stone with a plain chamfered 4-centre head with continuous jambs. There are medium stop-chamfered ceiling beams. Collar-beam roof with original timbers possibly reset. Most other interior features are modern but it seems likely that the house originally has a 4 room plan with a central cross passage flanked by 2 unheated service rooms, an expensive and fairly rare way of achieving a symmetrical facade whilst retaining a cross passage. See Machin, R The Houses of Yetminster, University of Bristol p 11-12 RCHM, Dorset, vol I, p 124, no 3.

Listing NGR: ST6379406159