Little Creech (Royal Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Centre)

WEST HATCH BICKENHALL LANE ST 21 NE

8/10003 Little Creech (RSPCA Centre)

• II

Farmhouse. Circa early to mid C17; remodelled and extended in late C18 [datestone 1783]; altered C19. Rendered stone. Asbestos slate roof with Hamstone coping to gable-ends; rear pitch clad in concrete tiles. Axial and gable-end stacks with rebuilt brick shafts. PLAN: 3-room plan with service rooms in the rear outshut and a cross-passage to the right of the centre room. The original house would have had a 3-room plan with a lobby entrance in front of the axial stack between the central hall/parlour and the kitchen on the right with its large gable-end stack. In the late C18 the house was refenestrated, the eaves were raised, the roof rebuilt and an outshut built across the back. In the C19 a cross-passage was inserted through the kitchen and an outshut was built at the right [east] end. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 3-window south front, arranged 2:1. Hamstone 3-light mullion windows with iron casements. Cross-passage doorway to right of centre with cambered arch and panelled and glazed door. On first floor, to right of centre, a stone tablet inscribed BI:IM:DB:1783. At the rear [north] the roof is carried down as a catslide over the outshut. INTERIOR: Right-hand room [kitchen], reduced because of insertion of cross-passage, has chamfered cross-beam over passage partition and very large fireplace with chamfered stone jambs, large chamfered timber lintel with step stops, shelf on brackets, pegs above, oven and curing chamber; blocked newel staircase beside stack. Central room [hall/parlour] has chamfered cross-beams with cyma stops and large stone fireplace with chamfered jambs and cyma-moulded timber lintel. The left [west] room has no exposed features. C18 tenoned-purlin roof with collars pegged to the faces of the principals.

Listing NGR: ST2769219725