Old Wottons

SX 86 NW BROADHEMPSTON BROADHEMPSTON 2/67 Old Wottons - II Farmhouse, now house. Circa early-mid C16 with C17 and C19 alterations. Rendered rubble walls. Grouted scantle slate roof, hipped at either end. 4 chimney stacks, 2 lateral ones at front, left-hand one has C17 brick shaft, right-hand one is rendered rubble and projects with offsets. Left-hand gable end chimney is rendered brick. Rear lateral rendered stone stack projects from outshut with offsets. Originally 3 room and through-passage plan with open hall. The house now has 2 passages, but it seems likely that the lower, right-hand one is the original. Hall ceiled in C17 with lateral stack added at front. Inner room originally heated by gable end stack, unheated lower room. Higher end of the house considerably altered and enlarged probably in C19. Continuous rear outshuts also likely to be C19. 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front. One first floor left-hand window is C20 3- light casement with small panes, the other 3 are similar but C19. Ground floor windows are 3-light C20 casements except for right-hand one which is 2-lights. The centre window is in a slight bay adjoining the chimney and has a slate pentice roof over it which extends to the right over the C20 plank and glazed door. Similar pentice roof to left of chimney stack above C20 glazed door. Projecting lean-to to far left end of front with late C20 casements and lean-to against left gable end. Continuous outshut at rear. Interior contains several original and early features. One original lightly smoke- blackened truss survives over the hall which had threaded purlins and is morticed at the apex. The original collar was dove-tailed into the principal rafters. 3 similar trusses survive which are clean. The collars have been replaced and the purlins removed. The other trusses are replacements, some probably C17 which also had threaded purlins and are morticed at the apex but with lapped collars. The hall has a C17 partially exposed plank and muntin screen at its lower end with beaded edges to the muntins and head beam. The partition at the higher end of the hall is concealed but also likely to be a screen. The hall fireplace has a chamfered wooden lintel with indistinct stops. The 2 cross beams to the ceiling both appear to be later replacements although the original joists survive. These are of 2 types at the lower end of the room and at the middle. Those at the lower end are more elaborately stopped with ogee and hollow step whereas those at the middle simply have hollow step stops. At the upper end of the room the joists are rougher replacements. 6 panel C19 doors on ground floor with one 2 panel C18 door with H-L hinges to cupboard under stairs. A similar door survives on the first floor. This is one of the better preserved old houses in Broadhempston village which retains a fairly traditional facade as well as several early features inside.

Listing NGR: SX8075866188