Dyke'S Farmhouse, Gate, Railings And Dwarf Wall Fronting Road

Dyke's Farmhouse, now divided into two dwellings, dates back to the late medieval period. A west wing was added in the 17th century, specifically in 1638, and the property was extensively altered in the late 20th century. The farmhouse is constructed of roughcast over rubble, with a visible squared and coursed blue lias gable end, a lias plinth, and Ham stone dressings. It has thatched roofs with coped verges and roughcast stacks at the east and south gable ends, and to the left of the through passage.

The original design was likely an open hall house, later ceiled into a three-cell layout and featuring a cross passage extended north-west and south-west, with a cellar beneath. Access was originally from the hall. The south front has one and a half storeys and a 1:2:1 bay arrangement. The left wing has a gable end with 3- and 4-light hollow chamfered stone mullioned windows. There are 3-light dormer casements to the right, and ground-floor windows with similar hollow chamfered mullions under hood moulds flanking the entrance. A projecting bay to the right has a C20 metal window and an adjoining Roman tiled projection. A moulded door frame remains under a thatched porch.

The left return side of the building has a steeply sloping ground falling away to the north-west and includes three bays, now appearing as three storeys, with an inserted C20 door leading to the former cellar. Most of the windows are C20 replacements, except for a stone mullioned window with a hood mould in the first floor of the end bay to the right.

The rear elevation is not visible but is said to contain two 3-light octagonal wooden mullioned dormer casements, a stone mullioned window below, and a false 4-centred wooden doorframe behind the through passage. There is also a projection housing a bacon-curing chamber. The south gable end is inscribed “RD 1638,” and the through passage stack is reportedly dated 1652 with the same initials.

An early 19th-century cast iron railing is set in a dwarf brick wall with Ham stone coping, including a matching single gate, enclosing the forecourt of the farmhouse.

Interior features of the west wing, as seen in a late 20th-century inspection, have been extensively altered. The main farmhouse is said to contain a stud and panel screen to the through passage, which has been papered over, a bacon-curing chamber, and a bread oven opening out of the kitchen stack within the projection. The hall has a 6-panel compartment ceiling with boxed-in beams. The roof structure is described as collar beam trusses, partly smoke blackened with rebates for windbraces. The presence of a cellar is considered unusual for the county. The initials “RD” are believed to belong to Robert Dight, and the name Dyke's Farm is a corruption of this name.