Kerswell Farmhouse

Kerswell Farmhouse is a substantial farmhouse with origins dating to the early 16th century, substantially remodelled and extended in the mid-17th century. The building is constructed of whitewashed rendered cob and stone with a thatched roof.

The roof structure is complex and varied: the main range has a gabled form at its left end and half-hipped at the right; the front wing is hipped at its end, while the left-hand rear wing is half-hipped and the right-hand rear wing is gabled. Chimneys include left-end and axial stacks to the main range and an end stack to the right-hand rear wing.

The plan comprises a three-room main range with a through passage (the lower end on the left) together with an unheated front right service wing adjoining the inner room, and two rear left service wings, one of which is heated. The building presents several unusual features reflecting its development. The main range was originally an open hall house, with the open area extending above the present lower end, passage and middle room, though there was no roof access over the right-hand end. The flooring-over of the hall appears to have occurred in stages: the lower end and passage were probably floored first, and when the middle room (and probably the inner room) was subsequently floored, a hall stack was inserted backing onto the passage. The front right wing, probably dating to the mid-17th century, may have originally served as a dairy. The fenestration pattern—with a larger lower-end window than the hall window—suggests either that the lower end had become the principal end by the mid-17th century or possibly that the house was divided to create two principal rooms. The two rear left wings are likely early 18th century or later.

The house is two storeys with an asymmetrical three-window front facing, together with the front right wing. Thatch eaves are eyebrowed over three first-floor windows. An approximately central boarded front door with rectangular fanlight provides access to the passage. A good set of 17th-century windows survives: a five-light ovolo-moulded timber mullioned window stands to the left of the front door, with a similar four-light first-floor window above. The two remaining first-floor windows are three-light with timber octagonal mullions. To the right of the front door is a one-light window with internal shutter, then a three-light ovolo-moulded timber mullioned hall window. The front right wing contains one small two-light 17th-century timber mullioned window. Sash windows with glazing bars appear to the rear of the right-hand wing and rear of the main range.

Interior features are substantial and distinctive. The hall (middle room) contains three cross beams, one deeply chamfered with ogee stops, and a large open fireplace with chamfered brecchia jambs and a roughly-moulded timber lintel. The partition between the hall and inner room no longer survives. The left-hand room has rough cross beams and a large fireplace, probably 19th-century, with narrow stone jambs and a brick lintel. To the rear of this room is a circa late 17th-century to early 18th-century dog-leg stair with bobbin-turned balusters, an octagonal handrail and a newel post with ball finial. The right-hand of the two rear wings has an open fireplace with brecchia jambs and a plain lintel. The first floor retains 19th and 18th-century joinery.

The roof structure above the hall incorporates three smoke-blackened side-pegged jointed cruck trusses with a diagonally-set ridge, complete with battens, purlins and smoke-blackened thatch. Some replacement of trusses has occurred over the lower end, though smoke-blackened purlins survive. No roof access is available over the inner room or front wing, but the principals visible on the first floor of the wing are nicely-moulded, side-pegged jointed crucks.

The property represents an early house with numerous surviving 17th-century features and notable aspects to its plan and development. Historically, "Carswell" (the earlier name) was a prebend providing income for one of the four prebendaries of the Church of St Mary within the castle of Exeter, with a list of prebendaries dating back to the 13th century.