Southhele Farmhouse

ST 02 SW CLAYHANGER

7/82 Southhele Farmhouse - II

Farmhouse. Circa late C16 with some late C17/early C18 refurbishment and C20 alterations. Rendered stone rubble and cob; corrugated asbestos roof (formerly thatched), gabled at ends; rendered end stacks and axial stack. Plan: T plan: a 3 room and through passage main range, hall stack backing on to passage, lower end to the right. Unheated rear wing at right angles to the hall, probably functioning as a dairy with granary over. Lean-tos at right end of main range and adjoining dairy. Some circa late C17 refurbishment to hall and lower end and inner room fireplaces. Rear door of through passage blocked internally; probably late C19/early C20 axial passage created at rear of hall giving access from through passage to inner room. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front; break in roofline to right of hall stack indicates some rebuilding. Gabled porch to through passage to right of centre with a good C17 front door with massive strap hinges. C20 timber casements, the 4- light hall window probably preserves the original embrasure. Probably C16 plank and stud rear door to through passage. Interior: High status late C16 and later carpentry and joinery. Intersecting beam ceiling to hall (beams now plastered); stair adjacent to hall stack; C18 window seat and cupboards; C17 ovolo-moulded doorframe leading from hall into rear dairy and now contained within axial passage; C20 hall fireplace probably concealing earlier features. Deep hollow-chamfered stopped crossbeam in kitchen; open fireplace with timber lintel and probably late C17 moulded mantel shelf, hearth seat and bread oven. Change in ceiling height and plainer crossbeam immediately in front of stack suggests the possibility of some re-arrangement of the fireplace. Bolection-moulded late C17 chimneypiece to inner room which also has deep chamfered crossbeams. Dairy has deeply-chamfered roll-stopped crossbeams. Documentation in possession of the owners includes leases etc., dating from the late C18 onwards, when the house was still in the possession of the Southele family. A floor slab in Clayhanger Church, recorded by John Davidson in 1828 commemorated members of the Southele family with memorial dates from 1661 to 1722. Davidson, John. Notes on Devon Churches, MS in West County Studies Library.

Listing NGR: ST0275622467