Severidge'S Farmhouse

Severidge's Farmhouse is a late 16th-century farmhouse. It has undergone alterations, including a mid-20th century refacing of the front wall, rebuilding of the north-west rear wall, removal of the north-east rear wall and the insertion of an entrance through the former bacon curing chamber in the east gable end, as well as rebuilding and extensions to the outshuts. The original staircase within a turret has been replaced. The farmhouse is constructed of roughcast rubble with brick facing to the south front, reinforced by full-height buttresses. It has a double Roman tiled roof and stone stacks at the right gable end and to the left of the cross passage. The original plan comprised a two-cell layout with a cross passage and a contemporary stair turret flanked by outshuts. The farmhouse is two storeys high and has three bays. It features early 20th-century two-light windows with multiple panes on the first floor. Ground-floor windows include two inserted 20th-century bay windows; the right one has a double Roman tiled roof extended to a fore porch with a 20th-century door, a two-light window to the right, and a small glazed opening at the end. Inside, the former kitchen is located to the right of the cross passage, featuring a bressumer beam to a large fireplace. To the right remains an area that was used as a corn drying or malting kiln. A blocked square-headed opening is visible in the gable end wall, and there's a rebuilt ventilation opening on the facade to the right. A ledge encompassing a circular bay retains one large nail set higher up, supporting slat slabs pierced with circular ventilation holes; remains of these slabs were noted in the farmyard during a survey in June 1985. Two oven openings are present, the left one lined with flat-bedded stone, located in the re-entrant angle of the wall on the ground floor. A blocked segmental-headed opening is also present. A four-centred arch doorframe leads to the stair turret, which originally opened into the kitchen. A similar doorhead exists for the cross passage. Evidence suggests there was originally a plank and muntin screen, with partial survival in an outbuilding. The parlour features leaf-chamfered beams with step and runout stops, including a wall plate. The rear wall was once a timber-framed partition on the first floor, along with a framed partition to the central jointed cruck truss. Two further pairs of cruck trusses are visible set in from the gable end walls, with through purlins.