Grovewell Farmhouse

YARCOMBE ST 20 NW 7/162 Grovewell Farmhouse - - II Farmhouse, formely 2 cottages. Probably late C16 - early C17 (maybe earlier in parts) and C18. Plastered local stone and flint rubble including sections of cob; stone rubble stack topped with C20 brick; corrugated iron roof, formerly thatch. Plan and development: the farmhouse faces south-east and backs onto the lane. It has been made by uniting 2 cottages. Each has a 2-room plan and each is a mirror plan of the other either side of a central axial stack. The centre rooms are larger and heated whilst the smaller outer rooms are unheated. Despite their similar plans it seems that the 2 cottages are of different date. The right (north-eastern) cottage appears to be the older part. This is probably C17 but maybe late C16; if so it is very early for such a small house. Maybe this is the hall and inner room of a C16 3-room-and-through-passage plan farmhouse of which the passage and service end rooms were rebuilt as the left cottage. The left-hand cottage was added (or rebuilt in the C18). 2 storeys. Exterior: irregular 4-window front of mostly C19 casements containing rectangular panes of leaded glass but one is a C20 replacement casement with glazing bars. There is a front doorway at the right end (into the unheated end room of the former right cottage) and another front doorway towards the left end (into the heated room of the former left cottage). Both contain C19 plank doors. The roof is hipped to the left and half-hipped to the right. Interior: the earlier features are confined to the former right cottage. Here the full height partition is plastered over but is reported to be oak large framing and includes a round-headed doorway (surely C16) at ground floor level. The unheated room has plain square-section joists of large scantling and the larger heated room crossbeam has deep chamfers with step stops. The stack appears to have been rebuilt with the left cottage in the C18. It serves back-to-back fireplaces. The right cottage fireplace (stone rubble with plain oak lintel) is towards the rear and has a back oven. The left cottage fireplace is towards the front but has been reduced in size by knocking through a passage between the 2 former cottages. The left cottage has plain carpentry detail. The crossbeam in the larger heated room is said to be chestnut and is chamfered with runout stops. The roof was not available for inspection. Source: a description with ground plan and photograph by Nat Alcock in tne NMR.

Listing NGR: ST2419007096