Wringworthy Farmhouse

Wringworthy Farmhouse

This is a Grade II* listed farmhouse with roots in the early 16th century, substantially altered and extended over subsequent centuries. The building began as an open hall house, probably floored in the early 17th century. A late 16th or early 17th century service wing was added to the rear, and the lower end to the left of the passage was removed. The original porch was rebuilt, reusing the early outer doorway. Later changes include a 19th century stair inserted in the passage, various alterations to fenestration, and the roof of the rear wing was raised. Some modifications date to the 20th century.

The farmhouse is constructed of granite and slatestone rubble with granite dressings and Hurdwick stone. The lower front of the porch has squared rubble, and the front is slate-hung. Roofs are slate with 19th century ridge coping and a brick ridge stack to the hall fireplace; a rubble gable stack stands to the right.

The building is arranged on an overall L-plan, two storeys high. The gabled porch has a 4-centred arched granite doorway with roll and hollow moulding and triangular stops, now fitted with 20th century glazed doors. The inner opening is narrower with a fine studded door featuring strap hinges and raised fillets around the border, above which is a 20th century 12-pane sash. A small single storey lean-to to the right has 20th century windows. The bay to the right, extended in 17th century alterations to the hall, contains an early 19th century 12-pane sash with sidelights at ground floor and a 20th century 12-pane sash above. A set-back bay to the end right has a similar ground floor window and an 18th century 12-pane sash at first floor.

The left return has the porch wall extending slightly beyond the random rubble end of the main range, with granite quoins. One bay set back to the left has a former door opening with timber lintel and a 19th century 4-pane sash with cambered brick head above; the roof here is hipped. A lean-to to the left has a window opening with heavy timber lintel, a 20th century 2-light casement, and two blocked openings to the rear.

The right return displays the gable end of the main range with large Hurdwick stone quoins. The two-storey rear wing, slightly set back to the right, has three ground floor windows: two small 2-light casements and one 20th century 3-light casement. The first floor has a 2-light 20th century casement to the left and a small 2-light casement under the eaves to the right. The wing was formerly of a single height but was raised at the stack for the rear kitchen fireplace; the line of raising is visible at the eaves and gable end. The gable end of the wing has a 3-light 19th century casement with brick segmental head at ground floor. The inner side of the wing features a single storey lean-to to the left with a stable door and ground and first floor 2-light casements; to the right under the eaves of the lower roof line is a blocked 2-light mullioned window.

The interior passage contains a 19th century dog-leg stair to the rear. A doorway to the right, probably of the second phase of building, is wooden with a round-arched chamfered head and a studded ledged door. The hall has a slate floor and 20th century fireplace. One chamfered cross beam runs across the space, and the wall is chamfered to the front where the hall was extended. Linenfold panelling runs along the wall to the inner room. To the rear is a 4-centred arched chamfered granite doorway to the rear wing with a door featuring strap hinges. Set at an angle to the rear right is a round-arched wooden doorway, similar to the entry to the hall, with a matching door, which leads to a wooden newel stair. A 19th century 2-panelled door opens to the inner room. The end fireplace has a flat granite lintel and reset corbels. A cupboard with shaped shelves is positioned on the rear wall.

At first floor, a similar doorway at the top of the stair leads via two steps up to the room over the hall. A 17th century plank screen spans the hall, with two curved members visible to the right and left. Above the passage at first floor, the door to the room over the hall is 6-panelled, set in a chamfered and stopped frame.

The rear wing contains a dairy with slate floor. The rear room retains a cambered wide head from a former opening, with a window now inserted.

The roof truss over the hall features arched-braces cut off above a collar with deeply chamfered arched-braces. The collar is morticed with the top tier of purlins visible only in the roof space. The truss is smoke-blackened but not encrusted, indicating that the open hall was closed relatively early in the building's history.