Great Frenchstone Farmhouse

Great Frenchstone Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating from the mid to late 17th century, possibly a remodelling of an earlier house, with some 19th century refurbishment. It is constructed of colourwashed and plastered cob and stone rubble, with the left end wall rebuilt in concrete block after a collapse. The roof is made of corrugated asbestos, half-hipped at the left end and gabled at the right end, which was formerly thatched. The farmhouse features back-to-back fireplaces in an axial stack to the left of centre and a right end stack, both with handmade brick shafts.

The layout consists of a single depth, three-room plan with a passage entrance to the right of centre, leading to a modern stair at the rear of the passage. The central hall is flanked by a lower end parlour to the right and an inner room kitchen to the left, which has a straight service stair rising against the rear wall. Although the roof construction was not seen in detail during the survey, it appears to be post-17th century, suggesting the house may have been raised in the 18th century. The plainer carpentry in the inner room indicates that this area may have been added or rebuilt in the 18th century.

The exterior is two storeys high with a long six-window front. There is probably a 19th or 20th century gabled porch to the passage on the right side, featuring a half-glazed front door from the same period. To the left, there is a 20th century glazed porch providing a separate entrance into the left-hand inner room. The windows are a mixture of 19th and 20th century sashes and casements with timber glazing bars.

Inside, the left-hand room has a rough exposed crossbeam, while the other two rooms feature 17th century chamfered crossbeams and half beams with step stops. A jetty-like feature is preserved in the hall above the fireplace, which is said to have had a fireback dated 1666, according to the owner. There are also good 19th century fireplaces with iron grates. The roof, although not examined in detail, appears to be from the 18th century. This is a handsome, large farmhouse with 17th century carpentry and other features likely to be preserved behind the wall plaster.