South Harton Farmhouse

LUSTLEIGH SX 78 SE

1/173 South Harton Farmhouse - 23.8.55 GV II

Farmhouse. Late C16 or C17 with later additions; outer walls and one roof-truss possibly late medieval. Solid, roughcast walls, partly at least of stone rubble. Thatched roof; porch roof half-hipped. Large projecting chimneystack with offsets and moulded cap in each gable and in rear wall, off centre to left. 3 room and through-passage plan, all 3 ground storey rooms apparently having had fireplaces by C17; 2-storeyed.entrance porch. 2 storeys, with .single storey additions at rear. 5-window front; all windows have C20 small-paned wood casements. Porch doorway has C19 rough-faced granite surround. Above it is a cast-iron plaque with Prince of Wales' feathers and motto 'Ich Dien'. Interior: surprisingly plain. Simple chamfered and stopped beams; similar wood lintels to fireplaces. Some good early C18 doors. Against rear wall of room at upper end a cantilevered granite staircase. Roof timbers are mostly C18 or C19, but at the upper end is a single jointed-cruck truss, each blade having face pegs and a slip tenon; collar is straight with halved dovetail joints on to the blades, these having slots for former threaded ridge piece and purlins. The halved collar would usually be dated to the late C16 or early C17, but face-pegs are normally medieval and the truss has possible traces of smoke-blackening. The title deeds (in the owners' possession) start with the will of John Wills of Harton, yeoman, in 1780; he is described in 1800 (after his death) as a gentleman. The Wills and Arthur families owned the farm throughout the C19 and early C20. A very good set of farm buildings on the north side of the house. All are included in the listing as part of the curtilage, but 4 items are separately listed. These are the L-shaped range on the north-east and north-west sides of the farmyard, including the gatehouse, the rear gateway and the linhay abutting the south-east end of the range; a detached building and a manure pit in the centre of the yard, and another detached building at the south-west end. The gateposts at the east end of the lane are also separately listed.

Listing NGR: SX7678282131