Lower Collaton Farmhouse

Lower Collaton Farmhouse

Farmhouse, now house. Early 17th century with a later 17th century rear wing, altered probably in the 18th century for use as a barn, with 20th century alterations. Constructed of granite rubble with granite dressings and a 20th century slate roof with a gable end stack to the left and a rear lateral stack to the right.

The building probably originally followed a 3-room and through passage plan. The lower end room to the left was heated by the gable end stack and contains the site of the original stair to the rear left. The hall was heated by the rear lateral stack to the right. The passage appears to have been widened into the hall, with a partition wall between passage and hall. The end wall to the right has been rebuilt so that there is only one room to the right of the passage. The rear wall contains two blocked doors, one in the position of the rear passage door and the other probably an external door from the hall to the left of the stack. A 20th century stair has been inserted in the rear of the passage along the rear wall.

The rear wing is entered through a door in the rear of the lower end room and was probably originally of 2-room plan, with a further room forming an L-plan to the right. The two rooms in this rear range would have been heated by a ridge stack, of which fireplace remains survive in the barn. The rear wing was extended to the outer left side with a single-storey dairy outshut attached along the outer left side in the mid-17th century. The house formed an overall H-plan with front and rear ranges. In the 18th century the rear range was converted for use as a barn with loft over and rebuilt, probably at each end wall and slightly extended to the rear left, with a small 20th century gable end stack to the left.

Two storeys and three windows, all 20th century PVC casements: two 3-light at ground floor and two 2-light and one 3-light at first floor. A central gabled porch features a segmental-headed hollow-chamfered and stopped granite doorway with 20th century double doors. A single-storey addition to the front left has a corrugated asbestos roof and door. The right gable end has a hipped roof. The left gable end has a single 20th century light at ground floor right and a blocked attic light in a plain granite surround to the right of the flue. The rear of the upper end has a later stack.

The 2-storey rear wing has a door and 2-light granite casement at first floor on the right side. At the left side the dairy outshut has a 2-light hollow-chamfered granite casement with iron stanchions to the outer side and a similar single light to the front, plus a 20th century roof light. The rear wing now forms a connecting wing to the rear barn range. The left gable end of the barn has a single unglazed hollow-chamfered granite light, probably reset. The right gable end of the barn was probably rebuilt in the 18th century with a hipped roof, large quoins and a door, with a small single-storey addition to the left. The rear of the barn has an external stair to the loft door and two doors to the right, one using as lintel the lintel from a granite 2-light mullioned window.

Interior

The wide passage has a slate floor and an inner front door in a hollow-chamfered 2-centred arched granite surround, with a round-headed studded door featuring fleur-de-lys strap hinges. The hall to the right has a fireplace with a flat hollow-chamfered granite lintel. The two blocked doors in the rear wall are visible from the rear wing, both with granite frames and 4-centred arched heads with straight-cut step stops. From the lower end room there is a chamfered doorframe to the rear wing. The former dairy has a slate floor and shelves.

The interior of the barn has a 7-bay 18th century roof with halved and pegged principal rafters and collars halved and pegged to the face of the principal. There are two rows of purlins, some replaced, with stumps of tie-beams remaining. The barn is open at loft level. At ground level it is divided by a wall with a stack, and a fireplace remains in the end to the right, with a flat chamfered granite lintel.