The Gift House

The Gift House is a house, originally reputedly almshouses, dating to the 17th century, possibly 1661, with a 20th-century extension. It is constructed of stone rubble walls with granite dressings and has a gable ended slate roof. There are two rendered gable stacks. The original layout comprised two rooms heated by gable end stacks, a central passage, and a small, unheated room in a rear wing. Winder stairs adjoin this wing in a projection behind the right-hand room. A 20th-century extension was added to the side of the rear wing, and to the left of the wing is a shallow rectangular stair projection. The front elevation has a regular two-window arrangement, featuring two-light granite mullion windows, which were likely partially restored in the 19th century. A round-headed, chamfered granite arched doorway is centrally located and may be original. Above the doorway is a square-headed niche flanked by arched niches, all of which are empty. The rear wing on the right includes a gabled dormer window on its inner face.

The interior retains several original features of good quality. The left-hand room has a ceiling of heavy cross beams, chamfered with hollow step stops, with similarly decorated joists in between, some of which have been renewed. The beam above the passage partition has mortices in its soffit, indicating it was originally the head-beam for a screen. The passage has joists with moulded edges. An original square-headed wooden doorframe, chamfered with worn stops, survives from the passage into the right-hand room, along with a contemporary plank and studded door with beading to the edges of the planks and strap hinges. The right-hand room also has heavy chamfered cross beams, with one displaying a pyramid stop, and joists in between with moulded edges. The original winder stairs have chamfered newel posts and a simple hand rail at the top, with a worn chamfer to the newel and a small rough finial. A second 17th-century door survives on the first floor, similar to that on the ground floor. The roof trusses, dating to the late 17th or early 18th century, are substantial with trenched purlins, morticed apexes and collars halved onto the trusses; a similar truss is found over the rear wing. Documentary evidence suggests that in 1661, Sir Francis Drake, the 2nd Baronet, left £120 to build an almshouse near the church for six pious persons born and bred in the parish, and it is reputedly referred to as The Gift House.