Town Mills

Town Mills is a house including a bakehouse, possibly dating back to 1659 although earlier fabric may be hidden, with extensions around 1900. It is constructed primarily of colour-painted rendered stone and cob, with the later extension in stone rubble and brick dressings. The roof is thatched at the left end and slate elsewhere, with brick ridge and end stacks.

Originally a 3-room cross passage plan, the main range features an axial stack heating the hall and parlour. It has a continuous outshut to the rear. An outbuilding, formerly a flour store, has been incorporated into the dwelling, with a single-storey bakehouse wing at a right angle to the front, creating an overall L-shaped plan. A later extension at the right end gives the main range a higher roof level. The front has a 5-window range to the original part and a 2-window range to the extension. Windows are primarily C19 and C20 casements, with 2 panes per light at the left end and 4 panes per light elsewhere. A plank door is at the left end, and a 2-light casement is between two C20 lean-to porches; the right porch has a half-glazed panelled door leading to the cross-passage doorway, with a bay window to the right, and the left porch has a pair of glazed doors.

The interior cross-passage has stud partitions on both sides, renewed on the left and featuring 9 panels wide on the right. The rear passage doorway and the rear of the hall have chamfered surrounds and an old 3-plank door. A scroll-stopped, chamfered door surround is at the head of the stairs. Decorative moulded plasterwork frieze is in the parlour, partially obscured by later cupboards and a plasterwork overmantel with moulded top and bottom rails, dated 1659. This overmantel features three plant designs flanked by the initials “C.H.” The chamber above has a moulded plasterwork cornice with a vine motif to all four walls and an overmantel in an early Classical style with three semicircular headed arches supported on thin pilasters, the arches extending halfway into each side bay, with plant designs in each full bay. The roof structure is C18 and C19, with three roughly pegged trusses, side-pegged collars, and waney rafters, with purlins resting on the backs of the trusses.