Anderton Farmhouse

BERE FERRERS SX 46 NE 3/1 Anderton Farmhouse - - II

Farmhouse. Circa early C17 with C19 and C20 extensions. Lime-washed rubble walls. Gable-ended asbestos slate roof. Rendered rubble axial stack and brick shaft to stack at right hand gable end. Original plan slightly obscure as only one room remains of the C17 house although it has later extensions either side. This room has a fireplace at one end with an original doorway beside it and a newel stair projection at the rear; on the opposite end wall is a C17 window which shows that this was originally an outside wall. It is possible that the house originally consisted of only one room with gable end entrance adjoining the chimney stack but the quality of the features is of an unusually high quality for a 1 room house. The other alternative is a 2 room plan possibly with a central passage with the principal (surviving) room to the left heated by an axial stack backing onto the passage, and probably a service room to the right which was rebuilt in the C19. A rear parallel block was added in the early C20. At the left hand end of the original room is a late C20 1 room extension. 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 5 window front, the original central section has a 2 window facade of C19 casements on the 1st floor with small panes and H-L hinges, 3 lights to the left and 2 light to the right. Similar 2 light C20 casements below. Late C20 extension at left hand end and C19 2 storey extension at right-hand end with 2 window front of small paned casements and lean-to brick porch with C20 plank door to the left. Interior contains a number of C17 features of a surprisingly good quality for such a small house - these are concentrated in the original section of the house. In the ground floor room are 3 chamfered cross beams with traces of hollow step stops and complete set of joists with beaded edges. The fireplace has a wooden lintel which has been hacked away at the centre and cut off at one end. Beside the fireplace is an original square-headed wooden doorframe chamfered on the outside with mason's mitres. On opposite wall to the fireplace in principal room is 2 light wood mullioned window with depressed 4-centred arched lights. At the rear of this room is a small room with curved walls which almost certainly housed a newel staircase. 2 original roof trusses survive in this section of the house which consist of substantial straight principals with threaded purlins and morticed apex. Collars are halved onto the principals with dovetail joints; one collar is cambered and soffit chamfered and stopped, the other is a wany rougher timber. The interest of this building lies particularly in its unusual plan form and the high quality of the timber features in an area uncharacteristic for good quality woodwork.

Listing NGR: SX4694968423