Pool Batten Farmhouse

Farmhouse. It likely dates from the early 16th century, with the hall being floored over in the late 16th or early 17th century, probably when a rear wing was added. Later alterations occurred in the 20th century. The farmhouse is constructed of rendered stone and cob, with an asbestos tiled, half-hipped roof. A front lateral hall stack has offsets and a brick shaft. A stone rubble stack is set at an angle across the upper rear left-hand corner. Originally comprising three rooms and a passage running through the centre, the passage's front and rear doorways were blocked in the 20th century and the hall/passage screen removed. The hall was originally open to the roof and was probably floored over when the two-storey, gable-ended service range was added to the rear in the 17th century. A 20th-century replacement staircase is located at the lower end to the right, which is unheated; the stack at the upper end was likely inserted in the 18th century. The front has a 4-window arrangement. All windows are 20th-century, with 2-light casements. There is a 20th-century inserted door with a gabled porch leading to the parlour, and a window inserted into the blocked through-passage doorway. A plank door provides direct access to the lower end. Inside, the screen separating the upper side of the through-passage was removed in the 20th century, although a morticed headrail remains. Hall joists appear to have been replaced in the 20th century. Door surrounds are roughly chamfered at the doorways leading from the hall into the service range and at the blocked rear through-passage doorway. A cross ceiling beam with a bread oven in an inserted fireplace is located at the upper end, featuring a rough chamfer with cross ceiling beams with pyramid stops at the lower end. Solid wall partitions are present on the lower side of the cross-passage and between the hall and inner room. The roof was not inspected, but is known to be smoke-blackened and features two jointed cruck trusses with a diagonally set ridge purlin.