The Square and Compass

The Square and Compass

A public house dating from the 18th century with a wing added in the mid-19th century.

The buildings are constructed of colourwashed rubble stone walls under stone slate roofs with stone stacks. They form a rough T-plan comprising a main range running east-west with a rear outshut, a long cross wing at the west end, and a further outbuilding range extending eastwards from the main range, which has a later rear extension.

The main range is of one and a half storeys, the right-hand former stable range is single storey, and the long cross wing is two storeys. The main range and extension have multi-paned casement windows, as do the windows of the cross wing. The main entrance is in the south of the main range via a porch formed from three solid stone slabs with a wide, part-glazed plank door. The three-bay main range has three two-light casement windows to the ground floor and three similar windows to the hipped and gabled half-dormers above. A broad stone ridge stack rises from the left gable end. The former stable range to the right has a window matching those of the main range, with a pedestrian door slightly off centre and double doors to the right-hand bay. A stone stack rises from the ridge between the first and second bays. The cross wing has a sash window in an exposed sash box set in the south gable end. The gable has high coping with straight kneelers. The inner face of the wing has a pedestrian door and casement window. The long west elevation is partly rendered and partly painted stone with scattered fenestration.

The interior is accessed from the central doorway via a passage laid with large stone flags running front to back, leading into the outshut at the rear, which is used as a cellar and servery. Service is provided via a stable door hatch with no bar counter. A further hatch is to the left. Timber partition walls resembling plank and muntin divide off the tap room, entered via a formerly sliding doorway. This room has a stone flag floor, built-in timber benches with timber backs, and a wide inglenook fireplace with a high mantelpiece on brackets. The room has exposed square-section beams. To the right of the passage is the Big Room, which was a small parlour prior to the mid-20th century when the gable end wall was breached to create a wide opening into part of the adjoining stable block. The room is accessed via an Arts and Crafts style studded plank door with decorative strap hinges and has a mid-20th century continuous wood-block floor and fielded panelling to picture rail height, which incorporates a two-panel hatch allowing service from the rear outshut. At the east end of the room, within the former stable range, is a stone-built chimney breast and fireplace with an arched opening with broad keystone and built-in niches, added when this part of the range was brought into use as part of the pub in the mid-20th century. The ceiling has exposed joists. The remainder of the former stable range houses lavatories accessed only from the exterior. The rear outshut has exposed roughly-hewn principal rafters and butt purlins to its lean-to roof and a small opening to the rear of the main range. The interior of the later flat-roofed rear extension is modern in its construction and finishes. The cross wing is accessible from the exterior or via an internal opening towards the centre of the range. The ground floor rooms have applied timber faux-joists. The north wall is clad in matchboarding which includes two cupboards with 19th-century hinges.