Stonyford Cottage

SS 51 NW 7/197 24.3.88

ST GILES IN THE WOOD Stonyford Cottage

II

Farmhouse, once used as 2 cottages. Probably C16 origins, much rebuilt in the early- mid C17, some C19 alterations, disused since circa 1920. Walls of local stone rubble, raised in cob; stone rubble stacks topped with C19 brick; corrugated iron roof, formerly thatch. Plan and development: The farmhouse faces north-east. The interior has been gutted although it clearly had a 4-room plan. The narrower room at the right (north-west) end has collapsed and was clearly an C18 or C19 extension. Thus the original house had a 3-room plan and is unusual in having no passage. Entry was apparontly directly into the hall, the large central room which has a projecting rear lateral stack. To left (south-east), a small unheated inner room, probably a buttery or dairy, and to right a parlour with a gable-end stack and newel stair turret projecting to rear. Since most of the internal structure has been removed it is not possible to determine the development of the house although Alock describes the features he saw here in 1968 (see below). The walls however show that the original house, probably a C16 open hall house, was raised in height in the early-mid C17. It is now open to the roof but was formerly 2 storeys. Exterior: Nearly symmetrical 1:1:1-window front of C19 casements, now mostly missing their glass. The centre bay breaks forward very slightly and the doorway here is blocked by a window. Secondary doorway to right. The roof is gable-ended. Similar rear fenestration and a bay window between the projecting stair turret and stack. Interior: Most of the structural carpentry has been removed. The crossbeam between hall and inner room remains. There are no mortices underneath which led Alcock to speculate that there was no partition here. Both fireplaces were rebuilt in the C19 and have brick arches. Early-mid C17 oak doorframe to the newel stair has a chamfered surround with step stops. C20 roof. Despite its dilapidated condition this is still a very attractive farmhouse. Source: N.W. Alcock. Devon Farmhouses, Part 1. Trans. Devon Assoc. 100 (1968) pp 26-27 includes a description of the C17 carpentry detail. The farmer of Stonyford Mill has a colour photograph of an oil painting of the house before it was abandoned.

Listing NGR: SS5415318364