Upham Farmhouse

Upham Farmhouse, Farringdon

A farmhouse of early 17th-century date, possibly with an earlier core, superficially modernised and extended in the late 19th century. The building comprises plastered cob on stone rubble footings, with the east (service) end including large blocks of conglomerate stone up to first floor level. One corner of the 17th-century rear block is rebuilt in 19th-century brick, while a 19th-century rear block is constructed of exposed brick on local stone rubble footings. The chimneys are of local sandstone and conglomerate stone, topped with 19th-century brick, with the hall stack partly exposed. The roof is of 19th-century red tile with bands of fish-scale shaped tiles, formerly thatch.

The main block follows a 3-room-and-through-passage plan facing south, with the service room positioned at the right (east) end. The service room contains an end stack serving a large kitchen fireplace with massive oven projection. The hall has a projecting front lateral stack, and the inner room has an end stack. A 17th-century unheated rear block stands at right angles to the rear of the hall and inner room, containing the main stair. A 19th-century rear block is similarly positioned at right angles to the rear of the service room. The house is two storeys throughout.

The front elevation displays a regular but not symmetrical 4-window arrangement, with two windows either side of the hall stack. Three of the first floor windows are 19th-century casements with glazing bars, while the remainder are circa 1980 PVC casements without glazing bars. The front passage doorway now contains a 20th-century door. The hall stack is mostly exposed and complete with weathered offsets and chimney shaft. All roofs of the main and rear blocks are gable-ended.

The rear elevation preserves several original features. The rear passage doorway has an oak frame with a Tudor arch, though the jambs may be replacements. Alongside this is the rear hall window: an oak 4-light frame with chamfered mullions, iron glazing and saddle bars, glazed with rectangular panes of leaded glass. Within the inner side of the 17th-century rear block is an oak 3-light window frame with superior ovolo-moulded mullions lighting the stair head. Below this is a contemporary plain tiny window now missing a central mullion. The outer side of the same block contains another oak 4-light window with chamfered mullions serving the chamber. Both these first floor windows have iron glazing bars containing rectangular panes of leaded glass, and the outer window retains an original iron casement. Other rear windows are of 19th and 20th-century date.

The interior is well-preserved and retains good original features. The layout appears somewhat old-fashioned for the early 17th century, but all older features appear contemporary with that period, and the hall was apparently floored from the beginning.

The through-passage is lined on each side by similar oak plank-and-muntin screens. On the hall side, both sides of the muntins are ovolo-moulded with bar-step stops. On the lower (service room) side, only the passage side is thus finished; the service room side muntins are chamfered with bar-step stops. The service room itself has a soffit-chamfered and scroll-stopped axial beam. The fireplace is large with a soffit-chamfered oak lintel. The back and left cheek are untidy, containing a series of inserted and disused ovens, other features and various patchings including early hand-made bricks. An oak bench along the screen may be 17th or 18th century in date, though its supports are later.

The hall has been divided in the 19th or 20th century by a corridor along the rear. The fireplace is blocked by a 20th-century grate. The crossbeam is soffit-chamfered with late step stops. In what is now the corridor, fragments of an ornamental moulded plaster frieze survive. The oak doorframes to the inner room and stair block are both original; the former has part of its headbeam cut back, but the jambs are ovolo-moulded with urn stops (the most elaborate in the house), while the latter has a Tudor arch head and ogee surround with scroll stops. In the inner room, the fireplace is blocked. The axial beam is plastered over with 17th-century plaster including a moulded cornice, and the chamfered soffit includes a small section of moulded running vine plasterwork. Most of the contemporary cornice has been replaced elsewhere, save for a small section near the door which also retains a moulded plaster frieze. The rear block contains another soffit-chamfered and scroll-stopped crossbeam. It also includes a small lobby from the hall and the main stair.

The lobby contains original doorframes to the rear block room and to the stairs; the former has a chamfered surround, the latter is ovolo-moulded, and both have scroll stops. The closed well stair has square-section newel posts with acorn heads, closed string, moulded flat handrail and turned balusters. The stair, though correct in style for the 17th century, is built of softwood and stained with very neat, crisp edges, all of which suggests it is a 19th-century copy.

From the landing, another chamfered and scroll-stopped doorframe leads to the rear block chamber. A more elaborate frame leads to the principal chamber over the inner room: it has an ovolo-moulded surround with double bar and keeled scroll stops. Inside the room, the fireplace has a 19th-century chimneypiece, but the chimney breast above has a fine overmantel plaque of moulded ornamental plasterwork. This comprises a vase of flowers with a foliate frame set in a strapwork cartouche enlivened by lions' heads and more flowers, set over a frieze identical to that in the inner room below. All other first floor features are 19th and 20th-century, though the crosswalls are probably original oak framing. The original roof structure is intact except for parts of the closed trusses. The trusses are side-pegged jointed crucks with pegged lap-jointed collars with dovetail halvings. The 19th-century addition has a roof of king post trusses.

Despite its traditional layout, Upham appears to be wholly of early 17th-century date. It is remarkably well-preserved and contains some high quality detail.