Great Sloncombe Farmhouse

Great Sloncombe Farmhouse

Farmhouse, probably dating from the 16th century with 17th-century alterations, a probable 18th-century wing, and 19th-century modifications. The building has granite rubble walls rendered at the front and side, with a slate roof gabled at the ends. A granite block gable end stack stands at the lower right end, detailed with dripmoulds and granite capping. A projecting granite rubble lateral stack at the rear has a brick shaft.

The house displays an unusual plan and development history. It appears originally to have been laid out as a three-room-and-through-passage plan with screens on at least one side, probably both. During the 17th century, the rear wall of the hall was built out slightly from the rest of the house, and a lateral stack was added at the rear of the hall, probably accompanied by a staircase beside it. The inner room remained unheated, while the lower room served as the kitchen, equipped with a gable end stack and adjoining oven. Probably in the early 18th century, a wing was built at the front of the inner room, possibly for a dairy. In the 19th century, the rear of the passage was built out flush with the hall extension.

The house is two storeys, with an asymmetrical three-window front to the main range and a wing projecting from the left hand side, which has a single-window front to its inner face. The first floor windows are all two-light windows, probably late 19th-century casements with small panes. The ground floor window to the left on the main range is a three-light late 19th or early 20th-century casement with glazing bars. A 20th-century plank door to the passage is positioned left of centre. To its right is a four-light granite mullion window with moulded mullions and jambs, featuring a hoodmould with the initials T and H carved in the labels. The ground floor window to the wing is three-light with stanchion bars. In front of the house, attached at the left end to the wing, is a granite rubble garden wall with a mounting block at the right hand side.

At the rear, where the passage and hall have been built out, a wide shallow wing is formed. It contains a blocked round-headed 19th-century granite arch to the passage, unchamfered with a projecting keystone, now with a small single-light window set within it. Above it is an early 20th-century two-light casement. To the right is a single-light stair window, possibly in its original position. Adjoining this to the right is the projecting stack with another small single-light window on its other side. Attached to the right at the rear of the house is a granite rubble outbuilding projecting at right angles, arcaded at the front with intermediate stone piers and shallow brick segmental arches. A cobbled yard lies at the rear of the house, enclosed on the other two sides by further farm buildings.

The interior contains several features of interest. At the lower side of the passage is a plank and muntin screen with chamfered muntins and a simply moulded head beam. The hall features a heavy chamfered cross beam with indistinct stops and plain joists. The fireplace is very wide with a wooden lintel, chamfered with worn stops. A solid wall at the higher end of the hall has an old oak door frame to the inner room and a similar one from the inner room to the wing; neither is chamfered. The roof appears to have been renewed. This is an unspoilt house with interesting development and several good quality features.