Burch Farmhouse And Adjoining Outbuildings

Burch Farmhouse and Adjoining Outbuildings

A farmhouse, now divided, with adjoining outbuildings. The main building dates from the late 17th or early 18th century, possibly as an addition to or partial rebuilding of an earlier house, with probable late 18th or early 19th century remodelling. Mid-to late 19th century alterations and additions include some internal changes, and minor mid-to late 20th century alterations followed.

The late 17th century range is constructed of cob and stone rubble, rendered to the front. The left-hand range and additions are of uncoursed sandstone rubble, also rendered to the front. The main roof is thatched and hipped over the rear staircase wing. The left-hand and rear ranges have gable-ended scantle-slate roofs, with 20th century bitumen covering to the rear. The left-hand range of outbuildings has 20th century asbestos slates. Stacks are of sandstone and red brick.

The original plan is a 17th century two-room central entrance design facing south, with the site falling to the left. Integral brick end stacks are present. A central two-storey gabled porch and central staircase in a square projection at the rear mark the main entrance. The staircase projection is probably a later addition, perhaps from the late 18th or early 19th century, as evidenced by the rafters and thatch of a former rear roof-line visible in the attic. The left-hand service end (now the kitchen) has a one-room plan with an external lateral stack to the rear, a probably 18th century staircase to the left, and a front entrance to the right. A mid-to late 19th century parallel range was added to the rear between the staircase projection and the kitchen stack, incorporating a dairy on the ground floor. Further 19th century additions include a one-roomed addition adjoining the right-hand end (altered in the late 20th century) and one-storey wings projecting at right angles to the front, flanking the 17th century two-room range. An 18th or 19th century shippon was added to the left-hand service end. It is possible this was formerly a three-room and cross-passage plan house, with the former hall and inner room end remodelled or rebuilt in the late 17th or early 18th century. The former shippon to the left was converted to create further domestic accommodation and garaging in the late 20th century.

The building is two storeys, with the former shippon being one-storey with loft space, and one-storey outbuildings.

The exterior of the right-hand part displays a symmetrical three-bay front with 19th century three-light wooden casements in the outer bays. A 19th century flat-roofed square bay with a pair of half-glazed French casements and side lights was inserted on the ground floor to the right. The central full-height slate-roofed gabled porch contains a first-floor late 18th or early 19th century two-light window with curved Y-tracery and transom, the present window being probably a 20th century restoration. A centrally recessed early 19th century four-panelled door has side lights and panelled reveals and soffit; the lower door panels are beaded flush and the upper panels are raised and fielded, with matching beaded flush side light panels below. A probably early to mid-19th century flat-roofed wooden porch sits in front. Probably 18th century brick end stacks with stepped weatherings are present. The lower service range to the left has three windows to each floor, with 19th century two-light wooden casements; those on the ground floor have segmental heads. An old boarded door to the right, probably from the 18th or 19th century, has wrought-iron strap hinges and a chamfered wooden frame. The former shippon adjoining to the left has late 20th century fenestration including a garage door and conservatory. A boarded loft door appears in the left-hand gable end. Projecting one-storey ranges of outbuildings to the front have 20th century fenestration and doors. The stair wing to the rear has a slightly projecting first floor with a 19th century first-floor window. A large 17th century external square stack to the rear of the kitchen has chamfered offsets, weatherings, a lean-to bread oven to the front, and a small window to the right. The 19th century parallel range at the rear has two first-floor 19th century two-light small-paned wooden casements and three ground-floor 20th century two-light wooden casements, all with stone flat-arched heads. An external stack to the rear of the converted shippon is also present.

Interior: The left-hand ground-floor room of the late 17th century range has a cased chamfered cross beam. An 18th century cupboard in the rear wall features two pairs of doors with the upper doors having two raised and fielded panels, and a frieze and dentil cornice. The interior has a V-shaped form with three shaped shelves. An 18th century cupboard in the front wall has an upper door with two raised and fielded panels and a lower door with one raised and fielded panel, with H-hinges and three shaped shelves in the top cupboard. The right-hand ground-floor contains a 19th century marble fireplace with a bracketed mantelshelf. Mid-to late 19th century matchboarding appears in the entrance hall. A late 18th or early 19th century staircase has an open string, stick balusters (two per tread), some of cast iron, and a ramped handrail wreathed to a columnar foot newel. The balustrade curves at the head of the stairs to return to the landing. Mid-to late 19th century four-panelled doors are found throughout.

The ground-floor room (former kitchen) in the left-hand range has a 17th century open stone fireplace to the rear with a deep-chamfered wooden lintel and a bread oven to the rear with a segmental brick arch. A small window is set in the left-hand side. A blocked doorway to the right has a cupboard above with two two-panelled doors and an open space below. Some introduced 17th century dado panelling is present. An 18th century door at the rear leads to the dairy and has four moulded panels (raised and fielded to the rear) with an 18th century thumb-latch with shaped ends. The 19th century dairy has low slate shelves on brick piers and a drain in the stone floor. A slatted wooden screen to the pantry has a probably reused old boarded door.

The roof over the late 17th century range is probably late 17th century with three bays. The trusses consist of principal rafters crossing at the apex, pegged collars, a diagonally-set ridge-piece, and pole rafters. Part of the rear roof, including rafters and some thatch, still survives in front of the later roof over the rear staircase projection.