West End Farmhouse

HOLCOMBE ROGUS ST 01 NE 5/102 - Test End Farmhouse - II Farmhouse. Early or mid C16 with major later C16 and C17 improvements, modernised and partly rebuilt circa 1930. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; stone rubble stacks, one still with its original stone rubble chimneyshaft; slate roof (formerly thatch). Plan and development: originally a 3-room-and-through-passage plan facing south- west. The former inner room, at the left (north-west) end, has a gable-end stack. The former hall has an axial stack backing onto the site of the passage. The partition between hall and innner room has been removed and the 2 rooms united. The rear of the passage is now blocked by C20 staircase. 2-storey front porch. The service end has a 2-room plan with axial stack between but this end is a complete rebuild of circa 1930. The original house was an open hall house heated by an open hearth fire. The hall and inner room parlour fireplaces were probably inserted between the mid C16 and early C17, the hall one first. The hall was floored over in the late C16 or early C17, probably the same time the porch was built. Now 2 storeys throughout. Exterior: irregular 2:1:1 window front of C20 casements with glazing bars. The gabled porch, a little right of centre has a plain outer doorway containing a C20 plank door door. Secondary C20 door and lean-to porch on right end. Roof is gable- ended. Interior: is mostly the result of C20 modernisations. For instance both hall and inner room fireplaces are blocked by C20 grates. No carpentry detail shows in the inner room end but the hall section has a soffit-chamfered and pyramid stopped crossbeam. The roof section overthe hall and Inner room is made up of C16 trusses. The lower sections are plastered over but their shape suggest they are jointed crucks. Only the hall part of the roofspace was available for inspection at the time of this survey and it was smoke-blackened from the open hearth fire.

Listing NGR: ST0501818476