Church House

THROWLEIGH THROWLEIGH SX 69 SE 1/245 Church House

22.2.67

GV II*

House, former church house. Early C16, improved in late C16-early C17, converted into 3 cottages in the C18 or C19, united into one house and modernised circa 1980. Coursed blocks of granite ashlar on a chamfered plinth but granite stone rubble to rear; granite stack with granite ashlar chimney shaft; thatch roof. Plan: The building faces east, backing onto the churchyard alongside the lych gate. Circa 1980 the ground floor was cleared of all internal partitions returning it apparently to what it was in the C17. Nevertheless there are opposing doorways set a little right of centre. Originally the house was open to the roof. In the late C16 - early C17 the floor was inserted and a stack built in the right (north) end wall. There is a contemporary stair alongside the fireplace to rear, and since a disused stair branches off the main stair to rear, there must have been a rear block. The present main stair is a C20 insertion. At the back there is external stone stair to a first floor doorway. 2 storeys with C20 rear service outshot. Exterior: Irregular front fenestration, 3 ground floor and 2 first floor casements. Central ground floor window is a timber C19 flat-faced mullion window containing rectangular panes of leaded glass, the rest are C20 copies. Only the ground floor left window obviously occupies an old window embrasure; granite ashlar with chamfered reveals. The original front doorway is a 2-centred arch with chamfered surround and contains a C19 stable-type door. Roof is gable-ended to right and hipped to left. The left end wall contains 2 late C16 - early C17 windows at first floor level. Both are 2 lights but the front one has square-headed lights and the rear window lights have pointed heads and sunken spandrels. Good interior: The late C16 - early C17 ceiling is 4 bays carried on crossbeams of large scantling; they are soffit-chamfered with straight cut stops although one beam has pyramid stops at the front end. (Maybe similar stops have been knocked off the others). The joists are soffit-chamfered and most are original but those in the left (south) end bay are replacements. The fireplace is unusually large. It is nearly the full width of the building. Its hollow-chamfered granite ashlar lintel was a single piece but is now supported where it has cracked. To left is a round- headed granite doorway to the stone stairs. The original roof is intact. The 3 bays are carried on true cruck trusses with soffit-chamfered cambered collars and sets of chamfered tnreaded purlins. The whole structure including the hip construction, common rafters and underside of the original rye thatch are heavily smoke-blackened from the C16 open hearth fire. Not only is this the most attractive of a group of listed houses in the centre of Throwleigh village it is also a well-preserved example of a late medieval church house.

Listing NGR: SX6679790779