Lake Farmhouse

WIDECOMBE-IN- POUNDSGATE SX 77 SW THE-MOOR 6/251 Lake Farmhouse 23.8.55 - II*

Farmhouse. Late C16 or early C17, altered 1661. Granite rubble. Thatched roof; shippons to right covered with corrugated iron. Granite chimneystack (heating former hall) on ridge, with weatherings, one of them inside the roofspace as a result of raising the roof; added red brick shaft on top. C18 or C19 granite stack in right-hand gable wall. Plan has 2 rooms to left of cross-passage, these having a second cross-passage between them. 2-storeyed entrance-porch to main cross-passage, this having a small room built into the left-hand side. Rounded stair turret at rear of each room. To right of main cross-passage is a small unheated room with 2 shippons beyond; although this room is divided from the shippons by a solid wall only in the ground storey, there is no evidence of former doorway between them. 2 storeys. 5 windows wide. C19 wood casements, mostly with glazing-bars. Porch in fourth bay from left has round-arched doorway of carved granite with three-quarter- round moulding and primitive raised decoration in the spandrels, these carrying the initials TH and date 1661. To left of doorway a small rectangular window with hollow-moulded granite surround. Inner doorway has chamfered stone surround with cranked head. Shippon has 2 doorways with plank doors having old wrought-iron strap hinges. 1 small unglazed window between them. Right-hand gable has plank door to loft with wrought iron strap hinges. Slit window below it and 2 more in rear wall. Interior has lightly-chamfered upper floor beams, the former hall with chamfered and stopped joists. Hall fireplace backs on to passage; heavy wooden lintel and oven having stone-framed opening with arched head. Left-hand staircase has winding stone steps. The 2 shippons, separated from each other by a stone wall on the ground storey, both have central drains, the left-hand shippon has stones defining a feeding trough along the front and back walls; some of the stones seem to have shallow holes on top for tethering posts. Roofs all rebuilt in softwood, late C19 or early C20. Lake formerly contained panelling believed to have come from Spitchwick Chapel; this is now at Sandridge in Stoke Gabriel parish (information from Mrs F Wilkinson).

Listing NGR: SX7043872294