Lower Filleigh Farmhouse

SS 71 SW 1/65

LAPFORD Lower Filleigh Farmhouse

II

Farmhouse. Probably early C16 with major late C16 and C17 improvements and C19 kitchen block. Plastered cob on rubble footings; rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate roof (formerly thatch). 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south-east with service room at right (north-eastern) end. Small unheated dairy at inner room end and C19 kitchen with granary over at right angles to rear of inner room/dairy. Large projecting lateral stack to front of hall, projecting end stack to service room, and massive end stack to kitchen. Two storeys. Four-window front to first floor, two to ground floor, with irregular disposition. Both ground floor windows are C19 16-pane sashes with horns. Two first floor windows right of hall stack are late C19 horned 12-pane sashes and two first floor windows left of stack are a close set pair of C20 iron-framed casements with glazing bars. Doors to passage and dairy are C20. Hall stack has original plastered rubble chimney shaft, now raised with C19 brick. Roof is gable-ended to right and hipped to left. Rear kitchen block has external flight of stone steps to granary.

Interior: Full height cob crosswall on lower (right) side of passage to service room which has probably C19 unfinished crossbeam and fireplace is blocked. Hall fireplace is also blocked and hall displays variety of beams; a hollow-chamfered half beam against passage screen, late C16-early C17 main crossbeam is chamfered with truncated pyramid stops, and late C17 chamfered and straight cut stopped beam against upper end partition. Hall roof carried by side-pegged jointed cruck truss with cambered collar, butt purlins and through ridge. This part of the roof structure and face of cob crosswall are sooted indicating that C16 hall was open to roof and heated by an open hearth fire. Late C17 A-frame truss with pegged lap-jointed collar over inner room. Other C16 and C17 features are probably hidden by later plasterwork in main block. Rear kitchen block is apparently C19 and has king post truss roof. Fireplace is blocked.

Listing NGR: SS7448910498