Lower East Lyn Farmhouse

Lower East Lyn Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating from the late 16th or early 17th century, with 19th-century additions. The exterior is of rubble, mostly limewashed, likely with some cob, and has a slate roof with stone stacks. The original layout was probably a three-room plan, incorporating a cross-passage to the left (south) side; this has been obscured by later alterations. The principal room at the south end has been rebuilt, while to the north is a gabled wing projecting to the front, a further extension to the right, and a rear wing which may be part of the original structure. The front has a range of casement windows, including a late 19th-century dormer with a two-light window, a three-light window with transom, and a small gabled porch sheltering a two-light window. A projecting bay with canted sides and a small gable contains a two-light window above a large two-light window with transom; a further two-light window and some dove holes are also present, above a three-light window with a rough drip-mould. A 19th-century extension with a lower roofline projects forward to a gable end on the right. The left gable end steps out to a substantial square stack, and there are two further ridge stacks. The rear elevation features a late 19th-century gabled half-dormer and a lean-to, alongside further casement windows. The rear wing is of rubble and appears to be of early construction.

The interior retains some original features. The cross passage has a late 19th-century straight-flight staircase and a stone floor. A high-ceilinged room to the left has a wide elliptical recess in the wall facing the passage. The main parlour, entered through an 18th-century panelled door, has a large open fireplace with rebuilt cheeks and a deep wood bressumer, stop-chamfered with run-out stops; this feature was revealed following a recent alteration. The room’s high ceiling incorporates three large spine beams with deep chamfers and stops. The kitchen has a bressumer fireplace with a bread oven and a door leading to a square stairwell with a spiral staircase in the rear wing. Various good 18th and 19th century plank doors, some with original hinges, are still in place. Roof timbers are largely absent, but partial inspections revealed no evidence of early timbers. The building, once the Popham Manor, requires further investigation to fully understand its construction history.