Higher Furzeland Farmhouse Including Adjoining Cob Garden Wall To South West

SS 70 SE SANDFORD

2/185 Higher Furzeland Farmhouse including adjoining cob garden wall to south-west

GV II*

Farmhouse. Probably C16 core with major C17 improvements and additions. Plastered cob on rubble footings; one cob stack, one volcanic ashlar, both topped with C19 brick; thatched roof. Originally a 3-room-and-through-passage house, facing south- east with inner room at right (north-east) end. Dairy and stair block added to rear of hall and inner room in mid C17 and service end extended one room in late C17. Rear end of passage now blocked by C19 cupboard. Projecting lateral stack to front of hall and massive projecting cob lateral stack to rear of service room including C18 brick oven projection. 2 storeys. Irregular 5-window front of late C19 and C20 casements of various sizes. Front passage door has C20 gabled and glass-sided porch immediately left of hall stack which has late C16-early C17- volcanic ashlar chimney shaft with projecting coping surmounted by a little C19 brick. Gable-ended roofs to main block and stair block; latter includes remains of mid C17 oak 4-light window with chamfered mullions and one light of leaded glass. Good interior. Early-mid C17 oak plank-and-muntin screen from passage to hall with chamfered muntins with scroll stops. Hall fireplace is blocked and 2 crossbeams are boxed in. At upper end of hall a remarkable and unusual mid-late C17 panelled screen in 2 heights with frieze. The larger upper panels and panels of the frieze have applied pieces of moulding along the sides or in the corners giving each panel a different geometric shape. It includes original 2-panel door. Door through rear wall of hall to stair. Mid C17 straight flight stair has open string, square newel posts with ball caps, high handrail and one elaborately turned baluster to each step. Chamfered door frames with scroll stops from foot of stairs to dairy and from head of stairs to main block. From passage to service room a late C17 lap- board screen with shallow ogee-mouldings contains original 2-panel door and fittings including a locking draw-bar arrangement. Similar screens from service room to extension on each floor, the lower inscribed TG 1704. Kitchen fireplace is blocked but its massive size indicated by external stack. Cross beams boxed in. Service room extension includes late C17 winder stair. On first floor front blocked window to service room contains late C17 window frame. Late C17 roof over service end is exposed comprising oak A-frames with pegged lap-jointed collars. From left (south-west) end of front a plastered cob wall on rubble footings with corrugated iron roof extends south west returning south-east alongside front garden and returns again south-west where it includes 2 bee boles.

Listing NGR: SS7841003507