Old Harp House

Old Harp House is a 17th-century farmhouse, possibly earlier, with later alterations. It stands in South Petherton, constructed of coursed rubble stone local to the area with Ham stone quoins and window dressings. The gable end stacks are of brick. The roof, which replaced the original thatch, is of pantiles and dates to the 19th century. The building is of two storeys and four bays, arranged on a single depth plan.

The southern front features windows with hollow chamfered Ham stone mullions and flat surrounds. A continuous drip-mould runs across the ground floor, stepped over the doorway. Most windows are 3-light, except for two smaller 2-light windows to the left of the doorway, which sit one course below the drip-mould. The doorway itself has a four-centred depressed head with ovolo moulded jambs. The western side reveals a first floor 2-light mullion window with drip-mould, marked by red discolouration from fire damage. The right reveal is blank. The rear elevation at the eastern end has two 3-light mullion windows; other windows are 19th-century wooden casements or 20th-century metal casements. A projecting square stair turret sits just right of centre, pierced with a single stone window.

The wooden door with large wrought iron nails was removed before inspection in 2005 but has been retained for possible future reinstatement.

Inside, the plan comprises a kitchen to the east of the cross-passage, an unheated service room with stairs to the west, and a parlour. Local vernacular architecture specialists have suggested the central unheated room may originally have been the hall, an unusual arrangement for which other examples have been recorded locally. The interior retains beams and half-beams throughout with deep chamfers and step and run-out stops, though some are modern replicas. A large 17th-century Ham stone fire surround with incised spandrels occupies the western end. The eastern end has a smaller, beaded Ham stone fire surround, a later insertion into what was originally an open hearth. The cambered timber bressummer on the left side has been replaced with a modern replica. The stairs feature Ham stone winders refronted with blue Lias stone. Wattle and daub partitions survive on both sides of the cross-passage, which is floored with Ham stone flags. Some window seats retain raised and fielded panelling.

The house appears to have been refronted, probably in the 17th century, at which time the floor level was lowered. The roof and stacks were rebuilt in the 19th century following a fire, evidence of which is visible in red discolouration of some stonework.