Dean Head, Including Apple Store And Coal Shed To Rear

Dean Head, a farmhouse now converted to a house, dates probably to the early 16th century, with significant remodelling in the early 17th century and alterations in the 19th century. The building is constructed of whitewashed stone rubble and cob, with some slate hanging at the left gable end. Two diagonally set brick shafts rise from a stone stack at the left gable end, and a tall rendered lateral stack with tapered cap stands to the rear.

The original through-passage plan with an open hall has been substantially modified. A dairy with a slated lean-to roof extends beyond the hall. In the early 17th century, floors were inserted and a wide gable-ended stair turret projection was added to the rear of the through passage. A long right-angled extension was added at the rear of the upper end of the hall, likely serving as a kitchen wing with a large ridge stack with brick shaft. Beyond this lies a cider apple store with rear access to the first floor loft. In the 19th century, a lower row of coal sheds was added in line with the stair turret, creating a rear three-sided courtyard plan. A length of cob wall with pantiled capping encloses the courtyard on the fourth side.

The building is two storeys with a three-window range on the front elevation. The windows comprise 19th-century casements of three, four, and two lights respectively from left to right, each with six panes per light and original glass. Two three-light casements flank a wide through-passage doorway on the ground floor, each with six panes per light. The through-passage doorway itself has a plank door and a slated gabled roof to a timber porch. To the right of the porch is a small two-light ovolo timber mullion window with square-leaded cames. A plank door to the dairy stands at the right end. A two-light window with stone hoodmould lights the outer face of the rear right-angled projection on the right side, with a small chamfered mullion window to its right. A slated lean-to roof to an outshut runs along the courtyard side. The stair turret features two pigeon holes to the right of a two-light casement with six panes per light, and a three-light casement with old L-hinges to the left, also with six panes per light. Below these sits a timber ovolo mullion window of four lights with square-leaded cames, the light second from left retaining old iron casement hardware.

The interior contains numerous surviving features from the early 17th-century remodelling. A fine plank-and-muntin screen to the parlour divides the lower side of the through passage. The muntins bear thin lateral ovolo-mouldings, with six planks to the right and five to the left of the parlour doorway. The doorway itself is square-headed with a chamfered and scroll-stopped surround and an original three-plank door framed and ledged with old lock. An ovolo-moulded beam sits above the headrail. The rear through-passage doorway also features a chamfered and scroll-stopped surround.

The parlour contains notable 17th-century ornamental plasterwork. The ceiling is divided into three sections by two beams with plasterwork mouldings, each displaying two floriated devices flanking a winged horse on the soffits. The section nearest the stack no longer survives, but the other two sections retain interlaced geometric ribwork between four different paterae. Above the screen are six plaster panels depicting identical demi-figures with outstretched hands holding swags at the base of the torso. Above the chamfered and scroll-stopped lintel to the chimneypiece with stone jambs stands a plasterwork overmantel in triptych form. The wide central panel contains a large central lozenge with intertwined foliage. Pairs of figures above and below flank the diamond, identical to the demi-figures above the screen. Each side panel features a human head in high relief with strapwork designs above and below.

The hall to the right of the through-passage probably originally had a plaster ceiling, though this has not survived. It features a stop-chamfered fireplace lintel. The stair turret to the rear has chamfered and scroll-stopped doorway surrounds at both foot and head of the staircase, each with old ledged plank doors with moulded cover strips. Three further chamfered door surrounds with scroll stops lead to upper floor rooms, with the bedroom at the upper end partly cased in. A two-panelled door serves the central bedroom. The main bedroom above the parlour contains fine ornamental plasterwork overmantel, likely executed by the Abbotts of Frithelstock or Langree. The central panel depicts "the seasons" within a strapwork cartouche, with two mythical beasts' heads at the top corners and human heads at the lower corners. Floriated emblems ornament each side, with a rosette at the bottom centre.

A single raised jointed cruck truss survives over the hall, with a collar morticed into the soffits of the blades. It is smoke-blackened in the roof space. The 17th-century roof structure is superimposed above the original roof. The original roof contains three trusses with straight principals, two tiers of threaded purlins and a diagonally threaded ridge purlin. The other two trusses are later replacements with trenched purlins, some of which are reused and smoke-blackened. The stair turret contains a single truss and a single tier of threaded purlins. The rear extension has three rough trusses with purlins partly trenched and partly resting on the backs of the principals.