Wets Hildrew Farmhouse

TAWSTOCK SS 52 NE 4/65 West Hildrew Farmhouse - GV II

Farmhouse. Late C15 or early C16 remodelled in late C16 or early C17 with C20 alterations. Rendered stone and cob. Thatch roof with gable ends. Rendered stack at left end and axial stack both with tapered caps heightened in brick. Front lateral stack heating inner room at right end with offsets and brick shaft. 3 room former through-passage and open hall house plan, with axial hall stack inserted virtually in the through-passage itself so that the latter, whose lower partition has been removed and rear doorway blocked, was steeply cranked around the rear of the stack. 2 adjoining service wings to rear of inner room, that to left probably C17 addition, that to right probably C19, altered in C20 and now under 1 roof, creating overall T- shaped plan with lean-to dairy to rear of hall and lower end. 2 storeys. 3 window range. C19/C20 fenestration. 2 light casement 8 panes per light at left end to each floor and one 3 light and 2 light casement above two 2- light casements, all 6 panes per light to right. Part of hall and inner room section has been built out in late C16 or early C17 remodelling. Gabled tiled roof to porch to former through-passage with 4 panelled door, the upper panels glazed, and monopitch tiled roof to porch to inserted doorway to lower left end. Interior Lower end has step-stopped chamfered bressumer and cross ceiling beam, the latter with segmental section cut out to front end, possibly to admit head of pump or pulley as it is sited directly over covered well. Fireplace covered over in C20 but lintel insitu. Newel staircase with original wooden treads winds up beside front of stack. Hall has chamfered bressumer and cross ceiling beams with hollow step stops. The dais bench has been removed but the carved bench end remains insitu. Old ledged doors with chamfered scroll-stopped surrounds to chamber over hall and to chamber over C17 rear wing. Roofspace over main range largely inaccessible but massive raised cruck truss with morticed and tenoned cranked collar, the feet set very low and situated over hall immediately in front of the hall stack undoubtedly indicates a former open hall with insertion of floors in the late C16 or early C17. A solid cob partition rises to the apex of the roof between the hall and inner room, the roof structure over the latter appearing not to be smoke-blackened and therefore probably replaced when the front wall at this end was built out when the hall was ceiled. Typical C17 truss in situ over rear service wing with C20 roof superimposed.

Listing NGR: SS5683926414