Blackhall Manor Farmhouse

SX 69 SE SOUTH TAWTON SOUTH TAWTON

4/224 Blackhall Manor Farmhouse 22.2.67 GV II

Farmhouse, former manor house. C16 and C17, refurbished in the early C19. Plastered walls, probably granite stone rubble, maybe with cob; granite stacks, all with granite ashlar chimneyshafts with moulded coping; thatch roof. Plan and development: L-shaped building. The main block faces south-east and is built down a gentle slope. It has a 3-room-and-through-passage plan. Uphill at the left (north-eastern) end the inner room has a gable-end stack. The hall has an axial stack backing onto the passage and an early C19 stair turret projecting to rear (maybe a rebuild of an earlier one). The service end room has a gable-end stack. At the-left end an early C19 2-room plan block built at right angles projecting forward from the inner room end. It was a new parlour block housing the principal rooms with a central entrance hall and staircase and has a gable-end stack. It is now used as a separate cottage. Since no internal inspection was available at the time of this survey, it is not possible to outline the historic development of the house here. Furthermore the main block was thoroughly (if superficially) modernised in the early C19. Nevertheless the plan-form of the main block is clearly C16 and therefore it was probably some type of open hall house, maybe heated by an open hearth fire, originally. The fireplaces would have been inserted and the house progressively floored over through the late C16 and C17. House is now 2 storeys throughout. Exterior: both ranges have symmetrical 3-window fronts arranged around a central doorway. Most are early C19 16-pane sashes but the first floor windows of the main block have been replaced by C20 horned 4-pane sashes. The doorway of the parlour wing contains an early C19 6-panel door with a C20 thatch-roofed hood. The passage front doorway of the main block contains a C19 plank door (so too does the rear doorway) behind a C20 thatch-roofed porch on rustic posts. The roofs are gable- ended and rear of the main block the eaves are carried down over the stair turret. Interior was not available for inspection at the time of this survey. However most of the joinery detail including both stairs is early C19. Nevertheless the layout of the main block suggests that the carpentry and chimneystacks are C16 and C17. Also the owners report some early panelling in the main block. Great care should be exercised here during any building or modernisation work lest C16 or C17 features be disturbed. It may have a smoke-blackened late medieval roof structure.

Listing NGR: SX6525694540