Higher Biddacott Farmhouse

Higher Biddacott Farmhouse is a 2-storey farmhouse, probably dating from the early 16th century and remodelled in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, with 20th-century alterations. The building is constructed of stone rubble and cob, mostly unrendered except for the hall and wing section, with a slate roof featuring gable ends. Stone rubble stacks are present at the left end and a tall rear lateral hall stack with tapered caps and offsets.

The farmhouse has an L-shaped plan. The original core appears to have comprised a 2-room arrangement with through-passage, the hall and passage originally open to the roof. A closed truss over the lower side of the through-passage shows smoke-blackening on the hall side only, indicating the passage was later floored over with a stud partition above, also smoke-blackened on the hall side. A winder staircase sits immediately to the left of the through-passage, while a 20th-century staircase running up beside the front wall of the hall to the landing over the passage occupies its original position. The hall was finally floored in the late 16th century, as evidenced by a decorative plaster ceiling to the chamber above.

At the right end, at right angles to the hall and connected by a narrow rear passage, is a single-room wing of 16th-century date, apparently unheated. Its unusual relationship to the main range suggests it may originally have housed a separate dwelling unit. In the 18th century, the rear angle between the main range and behind the wing was infilled with a dairy. In the 18th or early 19th century, the wing was extended forward with the addition of a store-shed and granary over.

The front elevation is 4 windows wide. Upper-storey fenestration is 19th century: two 2-light casements with 6 panes per light at the left end, a single 6-pane casement light and a 3-light window with 6 panes per light to the right. Ground-floor fenestration is 20th century: 2-light windows to the left and a 3-light hall window to the right. Two 2-light timber windows appear at the front gable end of the wing. External stone steps lead to the granary doorway. The front and rear of the through-passage feature 17th-century square-headed ovolo-moulded timber doorways, the front door being a softwood studded plank door in 17th-century style.

The interior has been largely altered on the ground floor in the 20th century. The lower end has an unstopped chamfered cross ceiling beam. Linenfold panelling at the upper end of the hall and a 17th-century staircase no longer survive, though the lower end and hall probably retain concealed 16th and 17th-century fireplaces intact. Dairy fittings remain intact. The chamber over the hall retains a complete decorative geometrical single-rib plaster ceiling with frieze, probably dating from circa 1560–1570. This features a central boss with radiating ribs dividing into 4 square panels, each quartered, with angle sprays at the tips. The frieze displays repeating scrolling fruit and foliage. An ovolo-moulded and scroll-stopped door surround opens from the rear wall of the chamber to a small closet, which retains a blocked 3-light timber mullion window.

The roof structure is virtually complete over the main range, comprising 3 cruck trusses with feet plastered over. The truss over the centre of the lower end is closed at first-floor level to the apex of the roof. Solid cob walls flank each side of the through-passage, reducing to stud partitions at first-floor level. The truss over the lower end side is smoke-blackened on the hall side only. A closed partition on its upper side rises to the roof apex, also smoke-blackened on the hall side only. The third truss is positioned over the centre of the hall. All trusses have cranked morticed and tenoned collars, 2 tiers of threaded purlins and diagonally threaded ridge purlins. All roof timbers over the hall and through-passage are thoroughly smoke-blackened; those over the lower end are clean. The clay daub to the closed partitions has survived undisturbed. A single raised cruck truss to the wing has a cranked collar, 2 tiers of threaded purlins and a strengthening piece to the apex. All roof members in the wing are clean.

Despite external alterations to the ground floor, Higher Biddacott is a late medieval farmhouse of considerable interest. The roof structure and plaster ceiling are of particular note, and the relationship of the main range to the upper-end wing suggests the possibility of a rare surviving example of a 2-unit house.