Beara Farmhouse

KINGS NYMPTON SS 61 NE 3/114 Beara Farmhouse - II Farmhouse. Probably early C16, remodelled in late C16 or early C17 with C19 alterations. Painted rendered stone rubble and cob. Thatch roof, half-hipped at left end, with gable end to right. Rendered front lateral stack with offsets and tall brick shaft towards lower left end, axial brick stack and brick stack at right end. Plan: original core consists of hall, with cross-passage to left and inner room to right. The lower end appears to have been demolished, the left end wall having been rebuilt entirely in stone rubble. There is no access to the roofspace but the single jointed cruck truss over the hall suggests the hall was originally open to the roof. In the late C16 or early C17 the hall was ceiled and the hall stack inserted. The inner room, heated by the axial, (formerly gable end) stack, may have been ceiled from the outset. Probably in the late C17 or C18 an extension of single room plan was added at the right, upper end. This was used within living memory as a cider- house. The staircase is situated to the rear of the inner room stack. Dairy outshut to rear of hall and inner room. Exterior: 2 storeys. 5-window range. 2-light casement 6 panes per light above plank door to left of hall stack, which has slated bread oven projection. Two 2- light casements 6 panes per light above 2 C20 windows to right. Extension at right end has 2 half dormers with 2-light casement above C20 stable door and C20 2-light window. Interior: hall has single deep chamfered cross ceiling beam with hollow step stops. Partition between hall and cross passage has partly exposed headrail of screen, which may survive concealed. Flag floor to front of cross-passage. Hall fireplace concealed in C20 but retains timber lintel. Probably C19 hall bench and window seat with panelled backs. Dairy fittings principally intact. C18 or early C19 dog-leg staircase breaking into 2 flights beside inner room stack. C19 plank doors intact to upper storey. Roof: no access to roofspace but single side-pegged jointed cruck truss over hall, the front principal probably altered when the hall stack was added. No roof principals visible to inner room and the heavy purlins to the extension is carried entirely on the partition and gable end walls.

Listing NGR: SS6901819049