Ruggadon

Ruggadon is a house with origins in the early 16th century or possibly earlier, substantially remodelled in two phases during the late 16th century, with further alterations in the mid to late 17th century and modern renovations in the 20th century. It is constructed of whitewashed stone rubble with an asbestos slate roof, gabled at the ends. The roof formerly was thatched. Three stacks are present: a brick shaft at the right end, a rear lateral stack, and a front lateral stone stack with a tall dressed granite shaft.

The building evolved from a late medieval open hall house, probably three rooms wide originally, divided by low screens with the lower end positioned to the right. In the mid to late 16th century the inner room was floored over, creating a jetty into the hall, which was itself floored over at a later date when a front lateral stack was added. The lower end was extended by one room, probably in the mid to late 17th century, heated by the present right end stack. The left-hand room of the lower end is heated by a rear lateral stack which may date from the 18th century. This arrangement suggests a possible late 17th-century extension and reorganisation, with a parlour at the right end, an unheated service room in the centre, the 16th-century hall used as the kitchen, and the inner room serving as an unheated service space to the kitchen. The thatch was removed in the late 20th century when a new roof was installed above the medieval roof trusses.

The house is two storeys tall. The front is long and asymmetrical with six windows. The inner room and part of the hall, to the left of centre, have a slightly lower roofline. The inner room at the extreme left is slightly set back from the hall, which is gabled to the left with a large lateral stack featuring set-offs and a projecting semi-circular bread oven. A front door leads to a cross passage to the right of the stack, with a wide door frame. A timber lintel above the present lintel of the doorway may indicate the height of the 16th-century entrance. A ground floor window on the left, lighting the inner room, is a 3-light ovolo-moulded mullioned window, formerly of six narrow lights with three mullions since removed. Fenestration elsewhere comprises 2 and 3-light casements of 19th and 20th-century date with glazing bars. An additional doorway to the right of centre provides entry to the lower end. A bow window was added to the rear wall of the hall during 20th-century renovation.

The interior contains numerous 16th and 17th-century features of considerable quality. The old roof trusses, except for the right-hand truss, are jointed crucks with collars mortised into the principals, and show evidence of smoke-blackening. The right-hand truss appears to be of a curved foot design and may be of later date. The hall retains high-quality details: a chamfered cross beam with step stops, chamfered step-stopped joists, and a massive fireplace with granite jambs and a massive plain timber lintel. The high end plank and muntin screen has painted decoration on the head beam and paint evidence on the muntins. The inner room joists project into the hall as a jetty. The screen between hall and passage has chamfered muntins stopped off at hall bench level. The hall was cobbled until the late 20th century. A spring exists below floor level, and a 19th-century pump and granite water trough survive in the centre of the hall. The inner room features a massive cross beam and closely-spaced joists of large scanthing. The right-hand room contains a 17th-century fireplace with stone jambs and an ovolo-moulded lintel with bar stops. The room to the right of the passage has a rear lateral fireplace with stone jambs and a plain low lintel. On the first floor the right-hand room has a fireplace similar to that of the room below. The room over the hall has partition walls of heavy studding, each with an old doorway, and a 2-plank door with strap hinges connecting it to the room over the inner room.

This is an evolved house with numerous internal features of considerable interest.