Dilton Vale Farmhouse

MATERIALS: rubble stone and brick with stone dressings, with pitched roofs covered in treble Roman tiles (probably replacing former plain tiles, as recorded by the Wiltshire Buildings Record), and two brick ridge chimneys.

PLAN: a central two-storey core, mainly of mid- and late C18 date, with a lower two storey extension at its north ends and a cat-slide extension along the north-west elevation of c1800. The lean-to garage at its south end dates from the late C20.

EXTERIOR: the southeast front elevation is of red and purple/black brick headers set on a moulded stone plinth, with rustic stone quoins, a moulded stone string over the ground floor, and stone window dressings. It consists of three bays each with three light casement windows to the first floor, and at ground floor level it has three light sash windows, the centre light taller, with a moulded architrave with beaded inner edges. The report of 2010 claims that the 'serliana' style window frames have almost certainly been imported from elsewhere. The doorway, formerly in use as the main entrance, is situated off centre to the left, and has a plain moulded stone architrave, also with beaded inner edges. It has a flat moulded stone hood resting on cut stone brackets. The timber door has six panels, the upper two glazed. To the left is a narrow brick remnant of an attached full height bay, incorporating earlier timber framing in the gable end, probably of the former mill (see below). Attached is a lower lean-to (the garage) added in the late C20. To the right is a lower two-storey stone built extension, with brick quoins, and with one range of window openings. The north-east gable end of the central core has a stone tablet reading "J.T. 1763", set above brick dove holes. The irregular rear north-west elevation has a mix of C19 and C20 casement windows.

INTERIOR: the interior dates almost entirely from the mid-to late C20, with the occasional survival of late-C18 and C19 plaster work, including parts of the timber floor boards and a plain late-C19 timber fire place surround at first floor level. The main core of the building has a timber coupled rafter roof which mainly dates from the second half of the C18. Remnants of timber framing to the south gable end, visible at attic level, suggest that the core of the building was indeed added to a pre-existing south-range.