Hele Payne Farmhouse

Farmhouse. Dating from the 15th century, with later alterations. The farmhouse is constructed of cob with a stone plinth, rendered beneath a gabled-end wheat-reed thatched roof and slate catslide to the rear. The remains of the rear wing, with a gabled-end slate roof, survive. The main range represents the former hall and parlour of a three-room, cross passage plan house, and the 15th-century roof, blackened by smoke throughout, remains intact and in good condition. The lower end has been demolished, but the lower end wing, which has been converted into a separate dwelling, retains a large external end stack. External right-hand end stack to the main range, and a former axial stack, now an end stack, to the left-hand side. All stacks have brick shafts. The building is two storeys high throughout. The front has a three-window range, with the wall to the right of the porch slightly recessed. On the first floor, there are two 3-light and one 4-light 19th-century casement windows, with the side lights fixed. On the ground floor, there are two 4-light casement windows; the one to the left has a single pane per light and occupies the original embrasure, while the one to the right has glazing bars in an extended opening, both with fixed side lights. A lean-to slate-roofed porch is enclosed with two small single-light windows. A small first-floor window is located to the left, and 20th-century casement windows are on the right-hand side of the right-hand end stack. Five 20th-century windows are within the outshut. The former lower end wing has 20th-century fenestration to the front but retains a 19th-century 4-light casement window to the rear. The lower end room has an end fireplace, with a wooden lintel and Killerton stone jambs and back. It also features two deeply chamfered, unstopped cross beams. The parlour is jettied into the hall and supported at this point by a deeply chamfered, unstopped bressumer; this jettying is reflected above by a 15-inch change in first-floor level. The hall has a concealed fireplace and exposed beam above. The roof has five bays with six medieval trusses, all smoke-blackened, with the hall soot blackened more heavily than the parlour. The truss between the hall and parlour is closed, and lightly sooted on the inner-side face. Principals are morticed and side-pegged at the apex, with a trenched diagonal ridge-piece; collars have chamfered arched braces; three tiers of threaded purlins are pegged to some rafters, the two lower tiers having wind braces. Many of the rafters are sooted. Although only two of the original three units of the medieval farmhouse survive, the roof is intact and of high quality.