Nordon Thatch Farmhouse

THROWLEIGH SX 68 NE 3/217 Norden Thatch Farmhouse (Northdown on O.S)

GV II

Farmhouse. C16 or C17,refurbished in C19. Granite stone rubble; granite stacks topped with C19 brick; thatch roof. Plan: Originally a 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing north-east and built down the hillslope. Former inner room at the uphill left end was unheated and now has been knocked through to enlarge the hall. Hall has large axial stack backing onto the passage and a newel stair turret projects to rear near the upper end. The service end room has an end stack. There is a possibility but no actual evidence that the house was originally a Dartmoor longhouse and that the lower service end room was then a shippon. The house probably began as an open hall house but since no internal inspection was available at the time of this survey it is not possible to elucidate its early development. Now 2 storeys with secondary rear outshots. Exterior: Irregular 5-window front of C20 replacement casements with glazing bars. Front passage doorway is right of centre and now contains a C20 part-glazed door behind a contemporary gabled and thatch-roofed porch on rustic posts. Roof is gable-ended. Interior was not available for inspection at the time of this survey although there appears to have been quite extensive C19 carpentry detail and a large probably late C16 - early C17 granite ashlar hall fireplace was seen. Maybe other features, possibly the C16 or C17 roof structure also survive. Norden Thatch is an attractive Dartmoor farmhouse and forms a group with the oldest of its associated farm buildings.

Listing NGR: SX6854189198