Hart'S Farmhouse

ST 11 SE CLAYHIDON 6/10 Hart's Farmhouse - II Farmhouse. Probably a mid C17 remodelling of an earlier building, with later alterations. Random rubble chert; gable end slate roof. Plan: 4 room (possibly originally a 3 room) through-passage plan house. The first hall (heated by an axial stack backing onto the passage) is to the right of the passage; the service end detailing suggests that in the C17 this became the principal room. It is heated by an axial (formerly an end) stack. It is likely that at this time were added the left-hand room (heated by a now truncated external rear lateral stack) and the wing to the rear of this and the original service room. The wing contains high-quality moulded ceiling beams that are not in situ, and these may have been removed from the early hall when it was reduced in status. The rear wing has both an axial and a truncated end stack. Extant shafts are of brick except the original hall stack which is of dressed stone with moulded cap and weathering. Main stairs to rear of the early hall. 2 storeys. Exterior Front: 5 window range. Except for one C19 casement, all are C20 casement windows. 2 doors, that to the passage with slate-roofed porch. Some buttressing. A datestone, the date unfortunately too weathered to be read, appears to have decoration of circa 1650. Rear: C19 casement windows with brick surrounds to rear wing. C19 outshut. To one side of the truncated rear stack mentioned above are the remains of an external flight of stone stairs. Interior: principal room (to left of passage from which it was divided by a now dismantled plank and muntin screen) with cross ceiling beam, chamfered with scroll stops. Access from this to the extreme left-hand room is through a doorway arch with cranked lintel with an incised decorative loop at its apex. This room has 3 cross ceiling beams, chamfered and unstopped. Right-hand rooms with roughly worked (or boxed) cross ceiling beams. Rear wing with 3 cross ceiling beams with composite cavetto and convex mouldings: these look C16, and are not in situ. There are 2 other doorway arches on the first floor similar to that described above, with the notched loop decorative moulding. Historical note: a painting of the house by Robert Bevan (a Camden Town School artist) is in the possession of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

Listing NGR: ST1703612191