Priestcombe Farmhouse Including Adjoining Forecourt Walls And Cobbling

SS 80 SW CREDITON HAMLETS

3/87 Priestcombe Farmhouse 26.8.65 including adjoining forecourt walls and cobbling

II

Large farmhouse and adjoining cob garden wall to south-east. Probably C16 core, extensively altered in early-mid C17, modernised in late C19. Originally a 3-room- and-through-passage house facing south-east with inner room at left (south-west) end. Dairy wing added at right angles to rear of inner room. Gable-end stacks to service and inner rooms and axial hall stack backing onto passage. In C19 rear of passage blocked by stair. 2 storeys. Regular 5-window front of C19 and C20 casements, most with glazing bars. C19 4-panel front passage door to right of centre. Hall has original volcanic stone chimney shaft raised in C19 with brick. Good interior comprising mostly early-mid C17 features. Only one is possibly earlier, the deeply-chamfered crossbeam with step stops in the service room. The same room has a volcanic stone fireplace with chamfered oak lintel and 3 inserted C19 bread ovens including one of cloam. To its left a disused stair alcove. Hall has large fireplace of veined volcanic ashlar with chamfered oak lintel and 2 crossbeams, chamfered with scroll stops. At upper end the oak plank-and-muntin screen is also chamfered with scroll stops, as too is oak lintel of volcanic ashlar fireplace in inner room which preserves traces of ancient colour in the form of 2 rectangular panels. The first floor has contemporary corridor along rear wall including a chamfered oak door frame with scroll stops to central of 2 inner room chambers. Service room chamber has late C17 coved plaster cornice and contemporary door frames to corridor and former stair alcove which includes an oak 3-light chamfered mullion window frame at this level. 6-bay roof of early-mid C17 oak A- frame trusses of large scantling with dovetail lap-jointed collars. High quality of service end suggests that ground floor fireplace only converted to kitchen after rebuild of rear wing as a dairy and demolition of kitchen stack there. From left end of front, a plastered cob wall on rubble footings with a pitched thatch roof extends south-eastwards alongside front garden. The enclosure is completed by lower stone walls and granite gate posts with small triangular cobbled surface immediately outside gate.

Listing NGR: SS8003601698