Bickleigh Castle, North Range

The north range is a former farmhouse, forming part of the medieval fortified site of Bickleigh Castle. It probably dates from the late 17th century, with renovations and additions made in the 1930s. The building is constructed of stone rubble, colourwashed and rendered to the courtyard, and has a thatched roof with gabled ends, along with end and axial stacks. Originally part of a larger courtyard complex, the west range has since disappeared, and the south range (now Old Court) and gatehouse range are separately listed. The north range follows a single-depth, three-room plan, encompassing three heated rooms. The original cross passage, if it ever existed, is now unclear. The central room appears to have been the kitchen, featuring a large smoking chamber within the fireplace. In the 1930s, a two-storey, gabled, jettied timber-framed porch was added to the south side, providing access to the left-hand room. A single-storey, polygonal store kitchen was added on the north side at around the same time. The south-facing exterior has an asymmetrical 1:3 window arrangement, featuring 20th-century three-light casements with square leaded panes. The porch has a shingle roof, deep eaves, and a first-floor oriel. An additional doorway is located to the right of centre. Internally, the range has been altered, but retains some interesting features. The left-hand room contains a late 17th-century overmantel, depicting lively scenes, which may relate to the Carew family's involvement in the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549, or more likely depict biblical scenes. The carvings show good costume detail and include various ecclesiastical buildings and an inn; the overmantel was re-sited after a period at Bickleigh Rectory. The central room has a chamfered cross beam and an open fireplace with stone jambs and a chamfered lintel. One of the jambs is pierced with an arch that appears to have been part of a massive, octagonal curing chamber, now used as a vestibule. The right-hand room has a rough cross beam supported by introduced timber columns, and an open fireplace with a replaced lintel. The principal rafters visible upstairs are straight. The range was previously divided into cottages. It is particularly important for its group value and its location as one of the courtyard ranges at Bickleigh Castle.