Westcombe Farmhouse

DARTINGTON Westcombe Farmhouse SX76SE 1/103

GV II

Farmhouse. Circa early to mid C17 with minor C19 alterations and additions. Local slate stone rubble; left side of porch is slate hung. Slate roof with gabled ends; ear slope is asbestos slates; early crested ridge tiles over porch. Rendered gable end stack to right with dripcourses and tapered caps; 2 projecting rear lateral stacks with set offs. Plan: 3 room plan; 2 equal size principal rooms, each with a rear lateral stack and wide stair hall between with 2'-stone porch of the front end staircase at the rear. The smaller third room at the right end is the kitchen and has a gable end stack. The dairy may have originally been in an integral outshut behind the right hand end but this appears to have been raised or rebuilt in C19. The stairhall also appears to have been extended at the rear in Cl9 to accommodate the Cl9 staircase. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical but regular 4 window range with a 2 storey gabled porch to left of centre. First floor with early C19 3-light casements and 2-light casement in porch. Ground floor large C19 casements; to left 2-lights with C19 hoodmoulds; to right of centre 4 lights in cambered arch opening; and to right 3 lights; all with glazing bars. 2 storey gabled porch to left of centre with unchamfered wooden lintel over C20 outer door; the inner doorway has the original C17 wooden doorframe with double ovolo moulding, the stops are worn and of indeterminate shape, and original nail-studded plank door with wrought iron hinges; the porch has a slate floor and steps outside with a slate stepped mounting block attached to the right. Rear: the 2 rear lateral stacks are integrally gabled to the main roof; between the stacks a flat-roofed stair well with a C19 round arched stair window with margin glazing bars. The stair well may be entirely C19 or a remodelling of the original. Behind (the left stack) a hipped roof slate hung short wing and a small slate hung 2-storey addition to the left with a gable-ended roof parallel to the main roof. Single storey dairy addition attached to left with hipped roof. Interior: timber plank and muntin screen between stair hall and right hand room with wide planks and ovolo moulded muntins. Victorian staircase at rear of stair hall with open string, elaborate newel, turned balusters and wreathed hand rail. Both the right and left rooms have c20 chimney pieces. C18 and C19 joinery including fielded 4-panel doors and many 2-panel doors and panelled cupboard in left hand room now partly glazed. the ceiling beams in right and left rooms are boxed in and the kitchen at the right end has a chamfered cross-beam. Roof: appears to be the original C17 pegged structure. The ground has been cut back into the rock behind the house to provide a level site on sloping ground.

Listing NGR: SX7633462306