Gate House To Middle Coombe Farmhouse

ST 01 NW 4/167 5.4.66

UPLOWMAN Gate house to Middle Coombe Farmhouse

GV II*

Gate house. Late C16 - early C17, refurbished in the late C19 and modernised circa 1970. Plastered stone rubble, maybe with some cob; stone rubble stack topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate roof, formerly thatch. Plan: the gatehouse faces south-west. It backs onto the farmhouse forecourt. It stands approximately 8 metres directly in front of Middle Coombe Farmhouse (q.v). Its right (south-east) end is terraced into the hillslope. The carriageway is flanked by 1-room plan blocks which project forward a short distance either side of the carriageway and room above it. There are doorways off each side of the carriageway. The right (south-east) block has an axial stack backing onto the carriageway. 2 storeys. Exterior: nearly symmetrical 1:1:1 window front of C20 replacement casements without glazing bars. The carriageway front arch has been partly rebuilt but does retain the orginal oak headbeam, a soffit-chamfered low Tudor arch. The roof is hipped to left and gable-ended to right and the eaves are carried down over the front wings. The right wing has a C20 hipped half dormer and there is another on the left end. There is a first floor doorway in the left gable end of the terrace there. The rear elevation has a symmetrical 3-window front. The left windows have chamfered oak mullions and are probably original. The right windows are C19 replacements. The carriageway arch here is a complete oak low Tudor arch with chamfered surround and above it is a small original oak-framed single light window, its surround carved with a twisted band of foliage. Interior was not available for inspection at the time of this survey although it is said to contain some orginal carpentry detail. This gate house, an unusual building in its own right, forms part of an exceptionally good group with Middle Coombe Farmhouse (q.v) and its traditional farmbuildings.

Listing NGR: ST0002417019