Nethercott Manor

NETHERCOTT MANOR

Farmhouse, dating from circa mid to late 17th century and enlarged circa early 19th century by the addition of a kitchen wing and a parlour wing. The building is constructed of whitewashed rendered cob and stone rubble with a thatched roof featuring a plain ridge, hipped at the right (east) end of the main range and gabled at the left (west) end. The parlour wing to the south-west is hipped and the kitchen wing to the north-west is gabled. The chimneys comprise a rear lateral stack and a right end stack to the main range, an end stack to the kitchen wing, and a lateral stack on the east side of the parlour wing, all with brick shafts.

The original plan is a three-room and cross-passage arrangement, with the lower end to the right possibly the original 17th century kitchen, the hall heated from a rear lateral stack, and the inner room unheated. Early 19th century additions include a kitchen wing to the north-west at right angles to the hall, and a parlour wing with new entrance to the south-east at right angles to the lower end. The new entrance on the east side includes a stair hall, with a second stair rising to the rear of the hall and a third stair within the early 19th century kitchen. A dairy outshut to the rear of the lower end room has been converted into a kitchen.

Externally, the building is two storeys with an asymmetrical four-window south front, the parlour wing projecting to the front at the right. The late 19th century half-glazed front door serves the cross passage. Ground floor windows are 2- and 3-light 19th or early 20th century small pane casements, while first floor windows are late 19th or early 20th century 4- and 8-pane timber sashes. The inner (west) return of the parlour wing has one ground floor 19th century 2-light casement and a first floor 19th or early 20th century 4-pane sash. The south end wall of the wing contains a 19th century ground floor French window below a 19th century 4 over 8-pane sash. The east elevation, the early 19th century entrance front, features a 20th century gabled porch with a 19th century round-headed stair window with margin panes to its left. Other windows on this elevation are probably early 20th century 2-light timber casements with glazing bars. Windows on the remaining elevations are timber casements.

Internally, both 17th and early 19th century features survive and the plan form remains virtually unaltered since the early 19th century. The two left-hand rooms in the main range have 17th century hollow-chamfered crossbeams with diamond stops. The right-hand room has a rough crossbeam and an open fireplace with a chamfered lintel and bread oven. The 19th century entrance hall is fitted with panelled doors and a good dogleg stair with landing, stick balusters and ramped handrail. The 19th century parlour has a dado with reeded frieze below the cornice and a circa mid-19th century timber chimney-piece, reduced in height. The early 19th century kitchen contains a massive open fireplace with bread oven.

The roof structure was not thoroughly inspected at the time of survey but at least one truss in the main range features a mortised apex with timbers of large scantling. One truss has a principal rafter carried on a post, possibly a modification made when the axial passage was created on the first floor. Another truss has a principal rafter apparently pegged into a projecting timber corbel. The whole of the south range roof may represent a transitional design between jointed cruck and the later A-frame truss.

This is an attractive, large traditional house retaining good interior features from the 17th and 19th centuries.