West Lee Farmhouse And Shippon Adjoining To West

West Lee Farmhouse and Shippon, Molland

A farmhouse and adjoining shippon of early to mid-17th century date, with later 17th and 19th century additions, probably incorporating some late-medieval fabric. The buildings are constructed of coursed and uncoursed stone rubble with cob to the first floor at the left and to the adjoining shippon. The main roof is gable-ended with 20th century slate (probably asbestos), while the shippon has a Welsh slate roof, hipped to the left. Stone square lateral and end stacks with weatherings and caps are present, one being rendered.

The house follows a three-room and cross passage plan facing south, with the ground falling away to the left. The building is likely a remodelling of a late medieval house, originally consisting of a hall with external lateral stack to the rear, a former inner room to the right with an integral end stack, a probable former cross passage to the left, and a former service room (now the kitchen) beyond to the left with a stack to the rear. If the building was formerly an open-hall house, the substantial 17th century remodelling would have included the insertion of the first floor, the stacks, and the rebuilding of the roof. The eaves were probably raised in the late 17th century, as evidenced by the right-hand gable end. A lower 17th century single-roomed addition extends to the left, identifiable by a stepped straight joint. A wing was added to the rear of the left-hand room, probably in the mid to late 18th century, with a staircase inserted in the former cross passage, possibly in the late 18th or early 19th century. The shippon was added to the left-hand end, probably in the mid to late 18th century, and the left-hand front corner of the shippon was rebuilt, probably in the 18th century. Straight joints to the front of the shippon suggest alterations to the openings at some point. It is possible that the single-room addition to the left of the former service room was built after the shippon, filling the gap between shippon and house.

The building is two storeys with a one-storey dairy wing. The exterior displays asymmetrical fenestration to the front, with four first-floor late 19th century three- and four-light wooden casements. A late 20th century top-hung wooden casement has been inserted between the first and second windows from the left. There are three ground-floor windows: two late 19th century three-light wooden casements to the left and a late 20th century two-light metal casement to the right, all with late 20th century rendered lintels. The former cross passage entrance, positioned between the first and second windows from the left, has a late 19th century boarded door with three-part glazed lights, a 19th century chamfered pegged frame, and is approached by three stone steps. A pair of 20th century half-glazed French casements appear to the right-hand end. A 19th century boarded door to the left has a 20th century rendered lintel. The shippon to the left features a two-light wooden loft casement to the right and two ground-floor 19th century two-light wooden casements with wooden lintels. Two ground-floor boarded doors, the left-hand one half-height, with wooden lintels, are positioned to the far right and between the two windows. A later stone and concrete raking buttress stands to the right of the right-hand door. Blocked small windows to the right of the buttress retain a wooden lintel. The left-hand return front has a central ground-floor slatted wooden window with a wooden lintel and a boarded door to the right with a wooden lintel.

The interior of the former hall contains two plastered deep-chamfered cross beams and a half-beam to the right. A 17th century fireplace to the rear displays ovolo-moulded dressed stone jambs and was partly rebuilt in the mid-20th century with a segmental brick arch, brick infill and overmantel. An 18th century door under stairs features four raised and fielded panels. A mid to late 18th century cupboard in the front left-hand corner has a four-panelled door to the upper cupboard with a dentil cornice above and two panelled doors to the lower cupboard. A wide late 18th or early 19th century staircase in the former cross passage has rectangular-section balusters to the landing balustrades. An early 19th century four-panelled door leads to the hall at the foot of the stairs, with an old boarded door to the kitchen nearby. The kitchen contains a deep-chamfered cross beam and an old fireplace to the rear with a wooden lintel and bread oven. A reused early 19th century fireplace surround appears in the left-hand bedroom, possibly formerly in the hall. Early 19th century four-panelled doors and old boarded doors are found throughout. The dairy at the rear has slate shelves. The interior of the shippon contains five slightly hollow-chamfered cross beams with stepped run-out stops. A blocked rear doorway, identifiable by straight joints, stands opposite the right-hand front window.