Fir House

Fir House is a house originally built as a farmhouse, dating back to around 1500, with alterations from the 17th century and an addition from the 19th century. The construction consists of rendered rubble and cob walls, topped by a gabled, grouted slate roof, which is noticeably lower at the right-hand end and incorporates corrugated iron sheeting. The house features an axial plastered stone stack with a dripcourse and brick shaft, along with a brick lateral stack at the rear.

Originally planned with three rooms and a through passage, the lower end of the house is situated on the right. The hall contains a central hearth and is open to the roof encompassing both the hall and the lower end. The inner room is ceiled, although the original partition layout remains unclear due to the absence of a closed truss. In the early to mid-17th century, the hall and lower end were ceiled, and it is likely that the front of the hall and passage were built out from the remainder of the structure at this time. A hall stack was inserted, backing onto the passage, featuring an end fireplace to the inner room. A 19th-century outshut was added to the rear of the hall, and a 20th-century addition connects the house to a small adjoining cottage at the left-hand end at the rear.

The front façade is asymmetrical, with a three-window arrangement mainly featuring 20th-century, two-light casements with small panes. A French window is located on the ground floor to the left, while an early 19th-century 16-pane sash window sits within a shallow projection, centrally placed. To the right of this window is a recessed area with a 16th-century cranked head, chamfered wooden doorframe, now fitted with a 20th-century plank door. The rear of the house features a 19th-century outshut in the centre.

The interior is of particular note, with high-quality 17th-century features. The hall features an open fireplace with chamfered granite jambs, though the wooden lintel is obscured. A plank and muntin screen, displaying hollow chamfered muntins and a head beam above each plank with hollow step stops, is present at the higher end. The framed hall ceiling is divided into four panels by relatively insubstantial, deep chamfered beams. The inner room also contains an elaborate framed ceiling with moulded half beams around the edges and a central moulded cross beam, forming two panels. An 18th-century wall cupboard with an arched head is found in the corner of this room, and the inner room fireplace is blocked. Several 17th-century panelled doors survive, characterized by a central recessed panel, representing an unusual early form.

The roof retains four original raised crucks. The upper hall truss and the lower end truss exhibit high cranked collars, with the latter positioned at a lower level, and the former having a collar at a somewhat unusual angle, potentially a result of a raised roof. These three trusses are smoke-blackened, while the truss over the inner room is clean and without a collar. The exterior of the house appears plain; however, it conceals a high-quality interior with a medieval core.