Langford Fivehead

Langford Fivehead is a former manor house with a 15th century core that was extended and remodelled probably in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It was extensively restored by Rupert Austin for the Matterson family in 1905, with some late 20th century alterations added subsequently.

The house is constructed of local coursed and squared blue lias with Ham stone dressings. The roofs, which have raised and coped gables and bases for finials (now removed), are covered with Welsh slates. The ashlar chimneystacks are mostly 20th century re-instatements.

The house faces south and has a double E-shaped plan with through passage and hall. It consists of a 15th century range orientated west to east which was extended at various stages: firstly in the 16th century when west and east wings were added to the rear (north) and the first floor was probably inserted; secondly in the early 17th century with the addition of corresponding wings to the front and projecting entrance bays to the front and rear. A late 20th century kitchen addition to the east side is of minor architectural interest.

The principal elevation (south) is dominated by two front-facing, broad wings. A gabled three-storey central porch has a four-centred arched opening with moulded jambs, is lined with stone benches, and leads to an inner doorway with a plank door. It forms a cross-passage with an opposing door of similar architectural treatment. The fenestration comprises two-, three-, and four-light stone-mullioned windows with stopped labels and square-paned leaded lights; those to the left (west) of the porch and to the ground floor of the right-hand wing are taller, transomed windows. The two left-hand bays to the west return have four-light and six-light mullioned and transomed windows to the ground floor and three- and five-light windows above. The right-hand bays break forwards slightly and have an irregular arrangement of mullioned windows, with two central ones lighting the stair. The rear elevation is in conforming style to the front, although the west and east wings are narrower and the porch bay projects forwards almost level with the flanking wings. A late 20th century single-storey addition to the east elevation is in matching materials. Two- and three-light mullioned windows light the first floor.

Internally, the late 16th to early 17th century layout of the building remains legible. The majority of the fireplaces have moulded Ham stone surrounds with four-centred heads; some of the earlier examples to the ground floor in the northern half of the house have incised spandrels. The dining room in the east front wing has a Ham stone fireplace set below a large timber bressumer that spans the length of the room. Recesses to either side of the fireplace contained bread ovens in the early 20th century, but may have formerly housed curing chambers and/or a kiln. One of the first-floor fireplaces carries the graffiti inscription 'NATHANIEL BARNARD', who occupied the house during the mid 17th century; a fireplace in another bedroom has an inserted late 18th century cast-iron grate. There is a late 20th century plasterwork ceiling in a Jacobean style to one of the bedrooms and a decorative plaster cornice of which only a short section is original. A high proportion of the joinery dates to the late 16th and early 17th centuries, including an open well staircase in the front west wing which has splat balusters, newels with shaped finials and matching pendants, and panelled flanking walls. The staircase in the eastern half of the house dates from the late 20th century. Both front (south) wings contain panelled screens with ovolo and stepped mouldings to the posts. There are other timber partitions elsewhere in the building which appear to have been re-sited.

The roof trusses are a mix of styles and dates. The central, west-east range contains two arch-braced, collared trusses of probable mid 15th century date that show no evidence of smoke-blackening; two jointed crucks with collars and a pair of purlins to each side; and what appears to have formerly been a closed truss with principals and a high collar. The west wing retains two collared trusses with tie beams and chamfered butt purlins, and the east wing has similar roof trusses but with queen struts.