Description

DARTINGTON

SX76SE Lower Allerton
1/99 Farmhouse
8.7.86

GV II

Farmhouse. Probably early c16 partly floored later in C16, entirely
floored and remodelled in C17 when the stair tower, porch and rear wing
were added. Rear outshut added in C19.
Local limestone rubble; the lower side of the rear wing is cob. Steeply
pitched slate roof with gabled ends, and catslide over rear lean-to. Two
early crested ridge tiles on rear wing. Stone rubble stacks;i the left
gable and stack has brick shaft.
Plan: 3 room and through passage plan, lower end to right. Originally
probably open to the roof from end to end and divided by low screens.
Later in the C16 floor was inserted over the narrow inner room creating a
chamber which jettied into the open hall. The rest of the house was
probably floored in the C17 when the lateral stacks were built at the rear
of the hall and lower room, and the 2 gable end stacks were probably added
to serve the chambers over the inner room and lower end. This remodelling
probably included the building of the porch at the front of the passage
door and an unheated wing at the rear of the higher end with a stair tower
in the angle behind the hall. In the Cl9 an outshut was added to the back
of the lower end and passage.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Regular but not symmetrical 4 window range. First
floor C19 3-light casements with horizontal glazing bars in half dormers
with slate hung gables. Ground floor has similar casements; inner room to
left of 2 lights; hall to left of centre has 4 lights; and lower end to
right and C20 French window. Two storey gabled porch to right of centre
with segmented stone arch doorway and C19 2-light first floor window;
blocked window on side of porch has old chamfered frame with diagonally set
mullion; the inner front door to the passage has an ovolo moulded and
scroll stopped wooden doorframe and moulded plank door with wrought iron
hinges, and a chamfered lintel with long scroll stops.
The higher gable end to left has projecting stack with set offs. The
internal lower end stack has recessed cap. The 2 projecting rear lateral
stacks have set-off and slate weatherings. The lower end stack is enclosed
within the C19 rear outshut which also surrounds the stair tower, the
rendered gable half dormer on lower and higher sides.
Interior: plank and muntin screen between the hall and the narrow inner
room with chamfered muntins either high run-out stops and wide doorway with
shouldered head and diagonal stops, now blocked but retaining the old
studded door; a later doorway inserted to side. Plank and muntin screen
between hall and passage, chamfered on passage side only and with later
doorways inserted. Wooden boarded partition between passage and lower room
which may conceal an earlier screen but now has a C18 fielded 2-panel door.
Two light scantling chamfered cross beams in hall without stops. At higher
end of hall the jetty beam, chamfered on hall side only carries a partition
above.
the blocked hall fireplace has a C19 wooden chimneypiece. The inner room
fireplace is blocked. Lower end room has C20 fireplace on rear wall and
cupboard with fielded panels in gable end wall.
The rear doorway to the passage has the original round-headed chamfered
door-frame. The stair tower behind the hall has a late C19 dog-leg
staircase with stick balusters. First floor has 2 old plank doors with
wrought iron hinges and fielded 4-panel door land fielded panel cupboard in
lower room.
Roof: The roof space is inaccessible but the principal rafters appear to
be straight and resting on the wall plate, and the wide purlins are
visible. The roof over the porch and the rear wing appear similar.
Source: N W Alcock, M Laithwaite, medieval Houses and Their Modernisation,
Medieval Archaeology, volume 17, 1973, pp 111 and 112

Listing NGR: SX7632861491

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26402125

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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