Town Farm Cottage

SX 86 NE ABBOTSKERSWELL MAIN STREET Abbotskerswell 3/20 Nol. Town Farm Cottage - GV II* Cottage, formerly farmhouse. Circa late C15 with C16 and C17 modifications, extended probably in later C17 and C19. Rendered rubble walls and projecting lateral stack at front with dripcourse. C20 brick axial stack offset from ridge. Gable ended thatched roof. Originally three room and through-passage plan with central hearth and hall and lower end open to the roof, inner room was either open and subsequently ceiled before hall or always ceiled. In circa early C16 a floor was inserted over the lower room and passage projecting partly into the hall on an internal jetty. The remainder of the hall was probably not ceiled until relatively late in the C17. Extended at lower end probably in late C17 (now No. 2, q.v.). C19 outshuts added at rear of hall and lower room. From the evidence of an old photograph, the inner room was demolished in the circa late C19. 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front of C20 2 and 3-light casements with glazing bars. C20 blockwood door to to right of projecting stack at centre, under wood shingle porch. Good interior: Preserving a number of early features. Original complete smoke- blackened roof survives from lower room to inner end of hall. 2 pairs of face pegged jointed crucks, one which is exposed has one remaining projecting peg with chamfered edges. Morticed cambered collars and threaded purlins. Square-set ridge with yoke underneath. At higher end is closed truss with smoke-blackened plaster. At lower end is short curved hip post. Smoke-blackened common rafters and thatch also survive, the bottom layer of thatch looks like furze. Hall has internal jetty over lower end partition consisting of joists with curved ends, chamfered and stopped at both ends. The partition beneath this is likely to be a concealed plank and muntin screen from the evidence of a head-beam. The hall cross beams are relatively late C17 ones, quite closely spaced with scratch moulding at the edges. The lateral fireplace is blocked but a heavy timber lintel is visible. At the rear of the hall is a wood newel staircase possibly inserted when the rooms above the lower end were created as it leads to them. It has a round-headed timber doorway. The lower room has C19 panelled shutters and cupboard doors. This building is important both for the particularly well preserved early roof structure and for the sequence of good quality features which illustrate the evolution of the medieval house.

Listing NGR: SX8570968788