Leworthy Mill

WOOLFARDISWORTHY SS 31 NE 10/208

Leworthy Mill

6.11.86

GV

II

House. Late Medieval origins, remodelled in 1684. Painted rendered stone rubble and some cob. Corrugated iron roof with rendered stacks to each end of house. Outbuilding attached at right end has hipped corrugated iron roof.

Plan: two-room plan, with direct entry into right-hand room. C20 flat-roofed single storey extensions at rear and attached at left end.

Development: the early fabric is confined to the right-hand room, the smoke-blackened roof timbers over this end suggesting most unusually that this originated as a one-room open hall house. In 1684, the floor was inserted and a coved ceiling with decorative plasterwork formed over the large single chamber above. The solid stone rubble and cob wall partition between the two rooms shows that the left-hand room was a later addition, although the replacement of the roof structure over this side in the C20 and internal alterations means accurate dating is impossible on the visible evidence alone; but it seems probably the house was extended in the C17 remodelling.

Exterior: two storeys. Three-window range. Late C19 and early C20 fenestration, with six-paned sashes and small two-light casements, sixteen-paned sash to left of gabled, slate roof to painted rendered stone rubble porch. C20 addition at left-hand end and along rear of house.

Interior: the large principal chamber over the right-hand room, which has been partitioned in the C20, retains good decorative plasterwork, with a cornice of trailing leaf design, and to the overmantel of the blocked fireplace is the date 1684 with initials PK/IK above (undoubtedly referring to the Knill family who were owners in the late C17) and a crowned fleur-de-lis below. Cherub's head to left in high relief. The coving survives along the rear wall, and one panel of a geometrical ribbed design, with a thistle motif to the tip of the rib. One of the sprays has been reset over the fireplace to the ground floor room. Ground floor has C19 plank doors. Single cross ceiling beam to right-hand room. Bread oven to fireplace.

Roof: largely replaced in C20 but a single smoke-blackened purlin over the right-hand room to the rear side indicates this was originally an open hall house. Both the roof structure and the decorative plasterwork are interesting survivals in a rural house of this scale.

This entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 2 February 2017.