33, Ford Street

MORETONHAMPSTEAD FORD STREET (south side), SX 7586 Moretonhampstead 8/141 No. 33 - GV II

Detached cottage, originally part of larger house, now demolished. Circa early C17 or possibly earlier. Limewashed granite rubble, probably with some cob under eaves. Brick patching over oven on north side. Asbestos slate roof with gabled ends. Granite shaft to front lateral stacks. Appears to be surviving 2 rooms of a longer probably 3-room plan house which extended to right (west) or the higher end (hall and inner room) of house which originally extended to left (east). Alternatively it could have been a small C17 2-room plan house, possibly in a row, the others having been demolished. The left- hand room now has direct entry into the right on an internal lateral stack on the front. To left of stack a projecting rounded oven on corner. The original newel stairs possibly rose in a turret over the oven but above the oven is now flush with front wall plan and patched in brick. A through-passage has been inserted through the right-hand (west) room and the west side of this room is now a pair of small store rooms with access from the passage. 2 storeys. North front: circa late C19 plank door to right of centre. Passage doorway opening to right of centre. Passage doorway opening to right. 2-light circa early C17 first floor window above to right with heavy wooden chamfered frame and later casements inserted. Rounded oven projection to far left corner with patching in limewashed brick above with single-light star window. All openings have timber lintels. Between doorway and oven a lateral stack flush with front with tall granite shaft with granite thatch weathering at base; the shaft is topped in red brick. Rear south has 3 late C20 casements on ground floor, 2 late C20 casements of first floor and passage entrance on left. Interior: left-hand room has chamfered cross beam with run-out stops and square section joists. Square section cross beam over left-hand end of room. Fireplace in lateral stack on front wall with granite jambs, timber lintel with run-out stops and oven with dressed granite surround and lining. Large stone newel stairs, bottom steps projecting into room and winding around side of stack in corner of room. Chamfered unstopped longitudinal ceiling beam in passage and store in former right-hand (west) room. Roof: pegged roof. One blade of 1 truss and 3 reset collars, 1 smoke-blackened and the collars are lapped to face of the principals. These reset early timbers do not necessarily belong to this house. In spite of the uncertainty about the plan of this house, it does have many interesting features and undoubtedly it is not later than C17. As an early building in the backlands it has additional interest in the development of the town.

Listing NGR: SX7524686118