Dansford

Dansford is a house, originally a farmhouse, dating from the 16th century with alterations in the 17th century. It is constructed of rendered rubble and cob walls, with a thatched roof which is half-hipped to the left and gabled to the right. Two rendered rubble stacks are present; one is axial and the other is a gable stack. The original layout likely comprised three rooms and a through passage, with a possible open hall. The passage has since disappeared, likely situated at the lower side of the axial fireplace. A winder staircase is located at the rear of the hall. A 20th-century extension sits at the rear of the building. The front façade is asymmetrical, featuring a four-window arrangement of probably early 20th-century two-light casements with small panes. The two left-hand first-floor windows are within smaller, possibly original, openings. There are similar windows to the ground floor left, with a small single-light casement to its right. French windows are positioned to the right of centre, alongside a tall, low two-light casement, all featuring small panes. A 20th-century single-storey extension is present at the rear on the left, with a first-floor stair window to its right, likely from the 18th century, featuring a pegged wooden frame, a central square section mullion, iron stanchion bars, and remains of leaded panes. The interior remains fairly unspoilt and retains several early features, some of which may be obscured. The central and right-hand rooms contain chamfered cross beams; the right-hand room exhibits traces of bar and hollow step stops, while the central room has ogee stops. Towards the right-hand end of the central room, the ceiling level drops abruptly, potentially concealing an internal jetty. A blocked fireplace, with a heavy timber lintel exposed, is located at the lower end of the central room. An oak winder staircase is situated at the rear. Within the 20th-century extension, a blocked four-light wooden mullion window with diamond section mullions is visible in the original external wall, with a corresponding window believed to exist above it. The bases of substantial trusses are visible on the first floor, suggesting the presence of original, possibly medieval, roof trusses. A two-light wood mullion window, previously removed from the house, is preserved in a nearby barn, exhibiting rounded arched lights and richly moulded jambs. The building is likely an early 16th-century open hall house and retains a traditional façade, being one of the few thatched houses remaining in the area.