Little Bowhay

Little Bowhay

House in two occupations. Dating from the early 16th century with origins, remodelled in the late 17th century, some rebuilding and re-roofing in the 18th century, and some 19th century refurbishment. The building is constructed of colourwashed rendered cob. The right-hand end has a thatched roof, hipped at the right end and gabled at the left. The left-hand end has a corrugated asbestos roof (formerly thatched) with a lower roofline. The building has a left-end stack, an axial stack, and a front right corner stack, all with brick shafts.

The earliest dateable part of the present building is the right-hand thatched block, which was originally a four-bay medieval open hall house, probably divided into two rooms by low screens, with the lower end positioned to the right. An inner room, now the right-hand room of the left-hand block, may have existed originally but appears to have been rebuilt in the 18th century. Several features suggest the hall was floored over comparatively late, probably in the late 17th century. The hall stack was inserted backing onto the passage, which unusually incorporates a winder stair at the rear. The eaves were raised, probably in the 18th century, possibly at the same time as the rebuilding of the inner room, which was then used as a service room adjacent to the adjoining byre. The lower end room was probably not heated at this date and may have been used for storage. A partition wall at the rear of the hall creates a very narrow service room with access from the passage; it is unclear whether this arrangement was part of the 18th century alterations or introduced later. In the mid 19th century the lower end room was refurbished as a parlour with a front right corner stack. A single-storey 20th century lean-to exists at the rear in the centre. The left-hand block, now in separate occupation, consists of one heated room at the right and an unheated left-hand room. The adjoining byre at the left is now single-storey but was formerly lofted.

The house is two storeys. It has an asymmetrical front elevation with two windows to the left and three to the right. The thatched block has steps up to a front door positioned right of centre, leading into the passage, with two-light small pane casement windows. Several buttresses appear on the front. The left-hand block has a front door on the front at the right and small pane casements. The rear elevation features an attic dormer with a two-light small pane casement.

Interior: The thatched block is very unaltered since the 19th century. The hall stack contains a 20th century grate, probably concealing earlier features. A boxed-in axial beam is exposed and chamfered adjacent to the stack. The parlour has a mid 19th century chimney-piece and a co-eval round-headed recess on the rear wall. Three smoke-blackened jointed crucks survive in the thatched block below a later roof. The ridge of the medieval roof is incomplete but some thatch, battens and rafters remain intact from the open hall phase. The left-hand block has large rough-hewn axial beams; the principal rafters are boxed in but appear to be straight. The byre contains two types of roof truss: one is halved and pegged, the other has the collar mortised into the principals which are mortised at the apex. The pitched stone floor retains a central drain.

An attractive example of an evolved house, part of which has very little 20th century alteration.