The Dower House

DOWLISH WAKE CP ST31SE DOWLISH WAKE VILLAGE

2/33 The Dower House (formerly listed is Lower Farm House and range of Barns at Lower Farm) 4.2.58

GV II

Detached house. Dated 1664. Ham stone cut and squared in diminishing depth of courses, ashlar tressings; thatched roof with stepped coped west gable and hipped on east return; brick chimney stacks. 'L'-plan; 2 storey, 4 Hollow-chamfrer mullioned windows in wave-mould recesses, the lower windows with labels, first floor windows of 4, 4, 4 and 3 lights, those to bays 3 and 4 being restorations; to ground floor a 5-light spanning bays 1/2, then a 4- and a 3 light: to lower bay 2 a C20 boarded door in plain opening; between the windows to upper bays l/2 a datestone with billet-mould frame inscribed 'M/WC/1664'. West gable has a 3-light mullioned window with label to first floor, with a small extension to the north-west corner. A longer extension from the north-east corner has one 2-light window without label, and then joins onto two farm buildings. Inside, the roof frame has closed collar trusses with wattle and daub infill: two cambered fireplaces, the ground floor example mutilated, otherwise the interior considerably modified. The house was leased to female members of the Speke family during the later C18, hence +he name. (VCH Somerset, Vol IV, l978, pl52; VAG Report, unpublished SRO, l975).

Listing NGR: ST3761212760