The Old Court And Court Close, With Court Place And Old Court Cottage

THE OLD COURT AND COURT CLOSE, WITH COURT PLACE AND OLD COURT COTTAGE

Two houses subsequently linked to form one, extended and now subdivided. Dating from the 16th century with modifications made in the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries. Built of ham stone, cut and squared, with ashlar dressings; Bridgwater patent interlocking clay tiles, akin to double Roman, between stepped coped gables; brick and stone chimney stacks.

The complex plan comprises Old Court on an east-west axis and Court Close on a north-south axis, linked in the 17th century to form an L-plan house. Court Place is a south range added alongside Old Court in the 19th century. Old Court Cottage to the rear of Court Close is essentially a 20th-century wing. A stable block to the north of Court Close, extending eastwards, completes the plan. The building is two storeys with attic.

The principal west elevation displays a succession of gables: first Court Place with a plain gable, then the Old Court gable with string courses, followed by four bays of Court Close, and the projecting stable wing. The Old Court gable features ovolo-moulded mullioned windows in wave-moulded recesses: a 3-light window with label at ground floor, a 3-light window with transome breaking into the string course at first floor level, and a small triangular-arched stairlight with hood to the attic. The gable is crowned by an octagonal stone chimney stack beneath which is a small plaque, its inscription almost lost but thought to have been placed there by Merifield Hallett in 1660 to commemorate the restoration of the monarchy. To the lower right of the gable is a 20th-century door in a segmental-arched opening with heavy plain ashlar surround.

Court Close also had mullioned windows. At ground floor to bays 1 and 2, the mullions have been removed from labelled 3-light windows and 2-light casements inserted. At first floor and between bays is a 4-light window without label, and a small triangular-headed stairlight to the right. Bays 3 and 4 break forward. Bay 3 contains hollow-chamfer mullioned windows in chamfered recesses: a 4-light with label below and a 5-light without label above, both with rectangular leaded panes. Bay 4 has a small traceried window at first floor, possibly a 14th-century window reused, beneath a square label. Below is a segmental-arched doorway in a plain recess under a label, with a 20th-century door.

Projecting to the north of this is the stable wing, dating from the late 18th century. It comprises five bays with matching walls and roof, single-storey with attic. It features semi-circular-arched windows with mullioned and double-transomed rectangular-leaded casement windows, and a 2-light casement window in a hipped roof dormer over bay 1. A semi-circular archway is present in the east gable, with 20th-century openings in the north flank.

The interiors have not been fully examined but are considerably altered. A variety of chamfered beams exist at ground floor level. Three earlier fireplaces survive, one cambered-arched and moulded. One cambered-arched doorway exists in a timber-framed wall. Roof trusses are mostly of tie-beam pattern.

Historically, this was a holding of Crewkerne Manor known in the late 13th century and called 'Sporisplace' after the Spoure family who owned it from 1399. In the 19th century it was generally known as Misterton Lodge; the name Old Court dates from 1924. A drawing from around 1700 shows the property from the east in a form similar to its present appearance, with the present stable wing replacing a service wing of comparable size. Court Place and Old Court Cottage are included for their group value with the principal building.