Yeo Farmhouse

NORTH TAWTON SS 60 SE 6/88 Yeo Farmhouse GV II Farmhouse. It is likely that this is basically a late medieval building but it can only be dated with certainty to the late C16 or early C17 with probably later C17 additions. Plastered cob and rubble walls. Thatch roof gabled to left end, hipped to right. 3 brick stacks : 1 at left gable end and 2 axial. Plan: complex structural development, the original form of which is not entirely clear. The earliest roof structure survives over the hall and lower room (to the right) suggesting that these comprised the original house which may have been open to the roof with a central hearth to the hall but lack of access to the roof space makes this uncertain. The ground floor features date mainly to circa late C16 at which stage the open hall, if it existed, would have been floored and its fireplace inserted backing onto the passage; the lower room fireplace is likely to be contemporary. Instead of having a more customary inner room beyond the hall an unheated wing was added behind it at this time. It contained a dairy and possibly a staircase. To the rear of this wing is a small possibly contemporary range parallel to the main house, the purpose of which is unclear, it has independent access from the main house and may have been self-contained. Beyond the lower room is an unheated room with store above added probably in the later C17. It is unclear exactly when the room beyond the hall, at the left end, was added, but it is probably post C17. Exterior: 2 storeys. Long asymmetrical 5-window front of circa early C20, 4 and 5- light casements. Central circa early C20 gabled stone porch with roundheaded arch. C20 part-glazed door to passage behind. To right of porch, at an intermediate level is a slit window. Rear elevation has stone steps at left end to first floor door. Wing projects at right hand end with small wood mullion window just below eaves in the angle. The rear parallel range has a 5-light diamond section wood mullion unglazed window. The left gable end of the main range has a blocked wooden mullion window on the ground floor. Interior: 2 lower rooms have chamfered cross beams with hollow step stops. Hall and passage have chamfered beams with raised arrow stops. At rear of hall is contemporary chamfered wooden doorframe with similar stops. Roof: over central part of main range are 3 very substantial side-pegged jointed crucks. The rear wing roof consists of raised crucks - there is no access to the roof space of either range so evidence of smoke-blackening is not available. This was obviously a substantial and important building in the C17 which may well date back to medieval times and is interesting for the 2 different forms of early roof construction. It remains unspoilt with picturesque external elevations and forms a traditional courtyard at the rear with a building likely to have been an external bakehouse (q.v.).

Listing NGR: SS6526902847