Farm Store And Cider House, North West Of Taynton House

SO 72 SW TAYNTON B4216 (west side)

7/241 Farm store and Cider House, north- west of Taynton House 2.10.54 (formerly listed as part of Group of three barns to the north of Taynton House)

GV II*

Farm store and cider house; late C17 or very early C18; English- bond brickwork, stone slate roof. Long, 2 storey range, 1 room deep. Clasping pilaster buttresses at ends, bullnose plinth, plain string course at first floor level. In centre of facade to courtyard wide boarded door with elliptical brick arch over, framed pilaster buttresses: 3 slit air vents each side, boarded door with segmental brick arch over, further 3 slit air vents. First floor central buttresses rise to eaves, either side of 2-light mullion and transom window, cambered brick arch, under small gable, stone ball finial to apex. Eight slit air vents each side. On left below, steps down to cellar, entrance in gable. Right return, wide elliptical-headed opening in centre, brick arch over, pilaster buttresses each side rising to verge in gable above: stone hinge blocks, disused, in jamb. In centre of opening double-boarded doors, up a stone step from concrete ramp: either side half-glazed over boarding: below iron grill in stone surround, over lighting chutes to cellar. Main string course missing over opening: above 3 slit air vents, shuttered square opening above, cambered brick arch over; plain string part-way up gable with further slit air vents above. Stone ball finial to gable apex, as on left gable. Rear divided into 5 equal sections by pilaster buttresses; in centre large projection for fire in building, later addition, chimney since removed. Interior: on right room for cider press and mill, smaller room in centre and 2 on left; some partitions inserted. Centre room stone paved, trap door to cellar, wooden stairs to upper floor. Loft over 2 end bays on left at eaves level. Collar and tie-beam trusses, 2 pairs purlins and square ridge. Cellar under whole building, segmental brick vault, with part solid wall, part 5-bay elliptical arched arcade with 450mm square columns down centre supporting crown of vault. Square brick drain runs out of right- hand end in centre: footings of inserted walls in 2 right bays. A very fine and early example of cider house, fabric little altered, forms important group with 2 other contemporary brick farm buildings and house (q.v.). (R. Newman, article in Transactions of Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, Vol. XLIV, 1983; D. Verey, Gloucestershire, The Vale and the Forest of Dean, 1970.)

Listing NGR: SO7220522163