Knowle Farmhouse

WHIMPLE KNOWLE CROSS SY 09 NW 10/246 Knowle Farmhouse - GV II

Farmhouse. Early - mid C16 with major later C16 and C17 modernisations, refurbished in the late C19. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; stone rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate roof, formerly thatch. Plan and development: 4-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south-east. At the right (north-east) end is an inner room parlour with a gable-end stack. Next to it is the hall with an axial stack backing onto the passage. Lower end kitchen with projecting rear lateral stack and and at the left end a small with an end stack. This stack is a late C19 insertion. This was formerly an unheated dairy or buttery. The roofspace was inaccessible at the time of this survey and therefore it was not possible to determine the early structural history of the house. Nevertheless smoke-blackened timbers are reported here and therefore the house was probably built in the early C16 and then the hall at least was open to the roof and heated by an open hearth fire. Also many of the early features are hidden behind late C19 and C20 plaster. 2 storeys with C19 lean-to outshots to rear. Exterior: irregular 4-window front of late C19 and C20 casements with glazing bars. The passage front doorway is slightly left of centre and it contains a late C19 part-glazed 6-panel door benind a C20 gabled rustic porch. Secondary doorway at the left end contains a C20 door. Roof is gable-ended. Interior: is largely the result of the late C19 modernisation but this appears to have superficial. All the fireplaces are blocked by C19 and C20 grates. The 3 main rooms have exposed crossbeams. The inner room parlour beam is chamfered with straight cut stops, the others are chamfered with scroll stops. The hall/inner room partition is-plastered but it is said to be an oak plank-and-muntin screen. The roofspace was not available for inspection but plastered jointed cruck trusses show on the first floor. Great care should be taken here during any alterations or modernisations lest C16 or C17 features be disturbed.

Listing NGR: SY0406097716