Description

SHERFORD
SX 74 SE
6/71 Ranscombe Farmhouse
26.1.67
II*

Farmhouse, probably built as a small gentry or manor house. Early C17,
refenestrated in circa mid C19. Coursed and dressed slatestone rubble. Gable
ended slate roof with C19 decorative ridge tiles. At right-hand end is projecting
stack of coursed rubble with brick shaft, 2 similar rear lateral stocks.
Plan: unusual H-shaped plan with central 2 storey porch. This leads into a lobby
which may have been a passage but there is no evidence of a back door, To either
side is a large room heated by a fireplace on the rear wall. At either end is a
cross wing projecting at both front and rear, each with a newel stair on their
inside face at the rear and each probably of 2 rooms. Left-hand wing not now
occupied.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 5 bay front, each bay gabled, with the outer 2
projecting end a central 2 storey porch. C19 3, 4 and 6-light diamond leaded pane
casements with stone hoodmoulds above. Porch has roundheaded chamfered doorway of
dressed stones with projecting imposts and dropped keystone. Inner doorway has
richly moulded wooden frame and contemporary studded door with moulded stiles and
rails forming panels and fleur-de-lys strap hinges. A moulded plinth runs along
the front of the house. At the left-hand end a tall section of wall connects the
house to an outbuilding projecting to the front. At the right-hand end a garden
wall projects incorporating stone piers with moulded cops. The rear elevation of
the house has a wing at either end with integral leanto on inner face of each
housing newel stairs. Each wing has a 3-light wooden mullion window on the Ist
floor and the right-hand wing has a 2-light ovolo-moulded mullion window below.
Interior; only partially accessible. Ceiling beams and most fireplaces covered
over. Stone newel stair in rear left-hand wing and blocked roundheaded voussoir
arch to far left-hand room. Timber newel stairs in rear right-hand wing.
Fireplace in left-hand room has ovolo-moulded wooden lintel. There are more
moulded wooden doorframes on the 1st floor. The roof structure over the west wing
at least is original and has substantial principal rafters which are joined at the
base to posts extending down into the wall. Morticed apex, threaded purlins and
collars halved and dovetailed onto the principals.
Good early C17 houses are unusual in this part of Devon and Ranscombe is a
particularly unspoilt example with some features probably still to be revealed.

Listing NGR: SX7606544896

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17533353

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)