Powdermill Farmhouse

Powdermill Farmhouse, Littleton Lane, Winford

A house of mid-16th-century origin, substantially altered and extended over subsequent centuries. The building is constructed of roughly-squared limestone rubble with some roughly-dressed quoins and an ashlar doorway. It has a truncated front exterior stack, brick gable and ridge stacks, and a double Roman tiled roof, hipped to the south end of the extension.

The house originated as a 16th-century through-passage plan with kitchen to the right of the passage and originally a further room beyond, and hall to the left. A room was added to the south in the late 17th century, the north end was demolished in the early 18th century, an upper storey was added in the mid-18th century, and the south end was extended in the 19th century. The plan now comprises the main range with a south extension of two rooms and a further 19th-century range to the south.

The main range rises to three storeys and has an east front of three windows with a slight change in walling marking the later top storey. A truncated exterior lateral stack projects from the right-hand side. The main entrance features a 16th-century Tudor-arched doorway with ogee moulding and pedestal stops, beneath a flat hood on moulded brackets; the door has six raised panels. Fenestration is scattered, with wooden lintels, small casements over and to the right of the doorway, and horned 6-over-6-pane sashes elsewhere. Quoining visible in the walling marks the position of former 16th-century window openings.

The west elevation has a half-glazed door to the left under an 18th-century flat hood. The door from the through passage has a chamfered stone surround cut low to accommodate barrels. Scattered fenestration includes small casements to the centre and 6-over-6-pane sashes to the left over the door and on the right-hand side; a small stone-lined 16th-century stair light occupies the centre. The south gable contains a small attic window. The two-storey south extension, set back, has one ground-floor and three first-floor windows with modern casements. A stone bridge spans the basement area to a left-hand door. A late 20th-century lean-to porch has been added to the right-hand end.

Interior: The former kitchen at the north end, separated from the passage by an 18th-century screen, contains chamfered beams with run-out stops, a large fireplace with bread oven, and an inserted mid-18th-century stair with turned balusters that cuts through the 16th-century floor to the rear. Mid-18th-century shutters, architraves and doors survive from this period. The hall features a fine moulded framed ceiling in nine panels and a fireplace to the north end with H-hinges to a spice cupboard and two other cupboards; a later cupboard occupies a former window to the front. A blocked 3-light chamfered mullion window lies to the rear. The first floor contains a 16th-century stone fireplace in the south gable, partly restored in 1997. The mid-18th-century roof has collar trusses and nailed saddles, with two original purlins, one with tusk tenons; much of the timber is reused. The central stack in the attic features steep 16th-century ridge drips from the original roof.

Historical context: The Littleton gunpowder works are thought to have begun production in the mid-17th century and by the later 18th century constituted the largest powder-producing complex in south-west England, apparently producing 3,500 barrels of gunpowder by 1762. It was one of three such works established in Somerset to supply local mining interests and also foreign markets through the port of Bristol; all had closed by the mid-19th century. The complex survives as the best-preserved gunpowder works of this period in the country. The anomalous position of the large external stack suggests the house originally extended further north, the space now occupied by Powder Mill Cottage. The original stair adjoined the hall fireplace. When the gunpowder mill was established to the north, this house served as accommodation for the owner or superintendent.