Lower Kingsford Farmhouse

Lower Kingsford Farmhouse

A farmhouse, probably dating from the late 15th century, with substantial alterations and enlargements in the late 16th or 17th century, followed by 19th and late 20th century modifications. The building is constructed of roughcast cob on stone footings with a slate roof, gable ended to the left and hipped to the right.

The original house was probably a 3-room cross passage plan building, of which the hall and inner room survive. The 3-bay hall was originally open to the roof and retains smoke-blackened timbers, while the inner room to the right of the hall appears always to have been 2 storeys. During the 17th century, the house was substantially remodelled when a first floor was inserted in the hall and a rear wing was constructed. A stair turret was built at the junction between the wing and main ranges. The service end was later demolished, though the present left-hand end wall and fireplace appear to date from after the 17th century. The rear wing projects slightly towards the lower end, suggesting a later contraction of the building. The house has a left-hand end stack and a now redundant axial stack between the hall and inner room.

The front elevation is 4 windows wide with 2 storeys. All casement windows to both floors are late 20th century, except for a small fire window surviving to the extreme left-hand side. The right-hand end has 2 further 20th century casement windows. The rear elevation includes an outshut and retains one early, probably 17th century, small 2-light window with chamfered surround and mullion, now concealed by the outshut. A later casement window set in an early embrasure lights the stair turret. The rear wing has 20th century casement windows throughout, with those to the ground floor outer face set in 17th century embrasures.

Internally, the original hall appears to have been divided into 2 rooms during the 17th century when a ceiling was inserted, though it is now again a single room. A boxed cross ceiling beam marks the original division. To the left (lower end), there are 2 and one half axial beams, chamfered with hollow step stops. An end fireplace has a roughly chamfered lintel with unchamfered jambs. Remains of a plank and muntin screen survive between the hall and inner room, to the right of the inserted stack, with 2 unchamfered but arched jambs of a doorway no longer in situ. The screen is morticed into a jointed cruck truss and forms the lower part of a partition rising to the apex of the roof. The rear wing has one cross ceiling beam, chamfered with hollow step stops.

The roof is of jointed cruck construction. The hall comprises 3 bays; the right-hand bay (at the higher end) was closed and is heavily sooted on the hall side only. Two other trusses survive, and a third (at the lower end) may be embedded in the present end wall or removed entirely. The crucks have unchamfered arched braces and cranked collars. There are 3 sets of threaded purlins, the apex features a yoke, and the ridge piece is threaded. Evidence suggests that corbels may once have been present at the jointed elbow of the cruck, though these have been planed away; features removed approximately 35 years ago described by the present occupier sound consistent with corbel fixtures.