Orchard Farm And Lower Rocombe Cottage

The property is a house with origins in the late medieval period, with later renovations and a partial conversion of an adjoining outbuilding in the late 20th century. It is principally constructed of whitewashed rendered cob on stone rubble footings, and has a thatched roof, gabled at the right end and hipped at the left end. It features an axial stack with a rendered shaft, and a rear left lateral stack. The original plan was an end-on layout with a three-room and cross-passage configuration, the lower end situated to the left. Initially an open hall house, likely dating from the early 16th century, the original layout is not entirely clear due to a lack of thorough roof inspection, though the right-hand end retains a medieval roof structure with blackened timbers. It is possible the house originally had two open hearths, evidenced by blackened infill on a truss between the hall and inner room. The house was probably floored in the 17th century with stacks added, but interior modernization has removed much of the original evidence, with the exception of the ground floor plan. A 19th-century lean-to with a concrete tile roof was added to the rear, and another lean-to exists at the right end. A rear left range of farmbuildings, at right angles to the lower end and parallel to the road, has been partly converted to extend the house; the unconverted portion is reported to have been a blacksmith’s shop and has a modern monopitch roof. The front elevation is asymmetrical, with a four-window design plus one window on the right-end lean-to. The eaves of the thatch are “eyebrowed” over the two right-hand first-floor windows. There are 20th-century casements with glazing bars; a 20th-century front door is located to the left of centre, leading to the passage. Inside, the hall has a rebuilt fireplace and a chamfered spine beam with run-out stops against the partition wall sharing space with the inner room. A second chamfered stopped half beam in the hall is likely re-sited. The lower end room also has a rebuilt fireplace and slender 20th-century crossbeams, with an earlier crossbeam dividing the passage. Visible over the hall and inner room are two side-pegged jointed cruck trusses. The truss above the inner room/hall partition has a collar mortised into the principals, a diagonally set ridge, threaded purlins, and blackened medieval roof structure, including sooted thatch, rafters, and battens. The visible truss displays blackened cob infill. This is an evolved house of medieval origins.