Middle Town

SAMPFORD COURTENAY SAMPFORD COURTENAY SS 60 SW 11/191 Middle Town GV II House, originally farmhouse. Probably C16 with early-mid C17 addition. Rendered cob walls. Thatch roof gabled to left end, hipped to right. 3 stacks - 1 brick at either gable end and one axial of granite ashlar with moulded dripcourse and tapering cap. Plan: 3-room and through passage plan with lower end to the left. Hall stack backs onto the passage. Although early roof trusses are known to exist they could not be inspected at the time of survey for evidence of smoke-blackening, so it is uncertain if this was an open hall house or not and if not it could be as late as early C17. The rear wing is early-mid C17 judging from the style of doorway leading to it. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4-window front with a full-height recess to left of centre. To its right all the windows are circa early C20 3-light casements. The left-hand part has a pane C19 sash with a C20 2-light casement to its left on lst floor. Large early C19 16 pane sash below. In the recessed section is a contemporary 6 panel door with rectangular fanlight above which has decorative glazing bars. Gabled rear wing behind rignt-hand end. Interior: (part of ground floor only accessible). Hall has chamfered cross beams with hollow step stops. Fireplace has granite jambs but its lintel is obscured by a C19 overmantle. At the rear of the hall is a chamfered wooden doorframe with cranked head leading to the rear wing. The inner room has a chamfered ceiling beam and a C19 classical chimneypiece. Roof structure not seen but consists of jointed crucks, their exact form is uncertain so it is not clear if they are medieval or not. Source: N. W. Alcock - Cruck Catalogue

Listing NGR: SS6324901126