Hemyock Castle House

ST 11 SW HEMYOCK CORNHILL, Hemyock 5/54 Hemyock Castle House 5.4.66 13.2.86 II Detached house, originally the principal manor of Hemyock, and later used as a farmhouse. The house is situated within the late-C14 curtain walls of the castle bailey. (q.v) but the earliest surviving features look considerably later, probably late C15. It was substantially altered in the late C18 by General Simcoe, and in the C19. Randon rubble flint with some limestone; hipped and half-hipped symmetrical tile roof. Plan: the original layout is difficult to reconstruct because the house has undergone radical remodelling. Probably a 3-room through-passage-plan house with service end to the right of the passage. The present principal doorway with a carved stone archway (late C15 or early C16 but brought from Cornwall in the late C19) does not mark the site of the passage, remains of which survive behind the second door of the range (to the right). The medieval hall lies between these doorways, and was originally open to the roof which shows evidence of smoke- blackening. The service end and the inner room have been largely reconstructed, possibly circa 1800. The stacks and the first floor of the hall look like very late insertions, possibly C18; the stacks are not in the customary positions; that to the hall is at the higher end, that to the service end backs on to the passage. Brick shafts. 2 storeys. Exterior: Front: 2 roof ridge levels, that over the inner room (and part of the hall) higher than the rest; 4 window range, all the windows have late C20 timber casements. Rear outshut; all fenestration to rear and right-hand end elevations late C20. The left-hand end is apsidal with one large pointed window, and several smaller pointed entrances, which are now serving as windows, but were probably designed as rather Gothick embellishment in circa late C18 when the house was remodelled by General Simcoe. Interior: Hall with rough cross beams; the fireplace lintel with a shallow chamfer and scroll stop. All these features look C18. Remains of a partition with unchamfered posts is visible below the present rear stairs, at the lower end of the hall. Inner room was derelict until recently, and is largely a late C20 reconstruction using some original materials. Roof: 2 medieval trusses, probably jointed crucks to either end of the hall; threaded purlins and threaded diagonal ridge piece, yoke, and cranked collar with chamfered archbraces; one tier of wind braces. These old timbers are very badly eroded, but there is evidence of smoke-blackening. Historical note; General Simcoe, the first Governer General of Canada bought the house, lived in it briefly, and was probably responsible for much of the remodelling.

Listing NGR: ST1353313282