Southmeads

Southmeads is a longhouse, now divided into two houses, dating from the early to mid-16th century with modifications made in the later 16th and 17th centuries, and probable 18th to 19th century rear outshuts. The building was further modernised and extended in the 20th century.

The walls are constructed of rendered granite rubble, with granite exposed at the lower gable end and rear. The left-hand axial stack is built of granite blocks with a granite cap and dripmoulds. The central axial stack is rendered and appears to have a stone base with a brick shaft. The roof is corrugated iron with corrugated asbestos panels to the extension and gable ends.

The building follows the traditional longhouse plan with a shippon, through passage, hall and inner room. The hall was originally open to the roof. An internal jetty joist survives at the passage end, suggesting that at some point a chamber may have existed over the passage, though not necessarily in the original configuration. Evidence for an internal jetty at the higher end is inconclusive but possible. The hall was probably ceiled in the early 17th century, when a fireplace was inserted backing onto the passage and a newel staircase added in a rear projection. Outshuts were added to the rear of the lower end and hall in the 18th to 19th centuries. A 20th century extension was added at the higher end, and the shippon was probably converted to a store room at the same time. The building is now divided into two houses at the upper end of the hall.

The building is two storeys high. The 20th century extension forms a one-window bay to the left. Fenestration includes late 19th and 20th century casements: on the first floor, a two-light casement to the right and a six-light casement to the left, both with glazing bars. The ground floor has late 20th century aluminium-framed casements to the left and centre, with a large 20th century plate glass two-light casement to the right. A doorway to the front of the passage, positioned right of centre, has a 20th century plank door. To its right is a single-light window on the ground floor with a loading door to the first floor. Two slit openings on the ground floor towards the right end flank a two-light early 20th century casement. Evidence of two roughly chamfered granite pillars in front suggests a former porch to the passage. At the lower gable end is a central single-light window on the ground floor with a ventilation slit to its left. The right-hand corner of the gable end is rounded, with stone steps leading up beside it to a rear door. Outshuts are visible at the rear of the house's lower end, to the right of which the curved edge of the stair projection is just visible.

Internally, the hall and passage remain relatively unspoilt, while the inner room, which forms the upper house, has been completely modernised. A late 16th or early 17th century wooden doorway from the passage into the hall is chamfered with a Tudor arch. Beside it is the curved end of one possible internal jetty joist, cut off at the passage side. The hall contains three cross beams chamfered with hollow stops. The fireplace is blocked. A doorway adjacent to the fireplace, probably retaining a 17th century plank door with old strap hinges, is now blocked. To the right of this doorway is an unusually intricately carved timber, possibly the remains of a jetty joist. A wooden newel staircase in a rear projection serves the upper floor. The bases of trusses are visible in the first floor rooms, which are jointed crucks side-pegged. There is no access to the roof space.

Although not a completely unaltered longhouse, the building has suffered relatively little alteration and remains instantly recognisable as such. More early features are likely to be concealed beneath 19th and 20th century modernisations.