Description

ST EWE
SW 94 NE
1/20 Levalsa Farmhouse (formerly
listed as Lavalsa).

GV II*

Farmhouse. Circa early C17; remodelled and extended circa late C17. Additions
of circa C18 and alterations of circa early C19; few later alterations. Slatestone
rubble, partly rendered. The back range has roof partly in slurried scantle slate,
partly in course of re-roofing at time of survey (November 1987). The front is
in squared granite rubble; slate roof with ridge tiles and gable ends. Gable
end stacks with brick shafts and rear lateral stack to right and left, also with
brick shafts. The wing to rear left has a gable end stack with brick shaft.
The rear wing has a gable end stack with large rubble shaft with slate weathering.
Plan: The original house is probably the main front range and possibly the rear
left hand wing. It was extensively remodelled in the late C17 when a stair tower
was added at the centre behind the main range and a service wing with a large
gable end stack was built at right angles to the rear left hand side of the back
wing. there is another service wing, added probably in C18, at the left end of
the main range parallel to the rear service wing with which it forms a rear
courtyard.
Exterior: 2 storeys, symmetrical 3-window front. Ground floor has central C20
porch with pitched roof; C19 panelled inner door with overlight. C19 16-pane
sash to right and left, formerly with sidelights; the sidelights are blocked except
for one, with 3 panes, to left; cambered stone arches. First floor has two C19
16-pane sashes and central C19 12-pane sash, all with cambered stone arches.
The right gable end is in granite rubble, partly rendered; blind. Attached at
the left end is the early C18 service range; this is lower 2-storey, in slatestone
rubble with brick dressings, scantle slate roof with hipped end. Ground floor
has 2-light window with segmental brick arch and 2-light window to the dairy with
iron stanchions and granite lintel. At first floor to left there is a 2-light
window. the left end of this range has plank double doors. The rear of the service
range faces into the service courtyard; at ground floor there is a plank door
with strap hinges and cambered arch, leading into the dairy, with 2-light 3-pane
C19 casement with timber lintel. To right there is an external stone stair leading
to a plank door to the loft. At first floor there are 3 windows, 2-light, 4-light
and 6-light, with C18 lapped glazing and crown glass. On the inner side of the
courtyard the rear range of the house retains a scantle slate roof; 2-storeys.
At ground floor there is a pentice hood over a C20 plank door with overlight;
C20 door to right. At first floor there is a late C19 4-pane sash with chamfered
timber lintel. The doorway pentice is carried on stone corbels, one scroll-shaped.
The rear of the service courtyard is enclosed by the service wing, with slurried
scantle slate roof on the courtyard side, in course of re-roofing on the outer
slope.
This range is built into the bank at the rear, with a single storey unheated outshut
along the whole of the rear. 2 storeys; on the courtyard side at ground floor
to left there is an early C18 2-light window with thick glazing bars, and a plank
door, set under one timber lintel 2-light C20 casement to right with slate cill.
First floor has two mullion and transom windows, one of late C17 - early C19,
the one to right with two panes below and one above, the one to left with one
6-pane light remaining, Between the windows there is an irregular arrangement
of square pigeon holes with slate perches, continued to left of the windows.
There is a small single storey lean-to to left. The gable end of this range has
large external stack with weathered rubble shaft and curved oven projecting at
the base. The rear has the single storey outshut, with a plank door with strap
hinges at the outer end.
The service courtyard is enclosed by a stone rubble wall, partly rendered, with
slate weathering and rendered coping; plank door leading into the courtyard, which
is cobbled. At the rear, to left, the main front range has a rear lateral stack
with a small gable. To right is the stair tower, with hipped roof; there is a
blocked window at the left side of the stair tower, with timber lintel remaining.
The rear of the stair tower has early C17 12-pane sash in exposed box, with thick
glazing bars and slate cill. To right is the 2-storey rear wing, which is part
of the original house; this is 2-storey, with slurried scantle slate roof, built
into the bank at the gable end. The inner side of the wing has C20 3-light casement
at ground floor and late C19 4-pane sash at first floor. The gable end has external
stack and C18 2-light casement with timber lintel at first floor. The outer side
of the wing is blind.
Interior: In the front range, there is a central entrance passage with principal
room to right and left. The room to right has a C19 6-panelled door. The room
to left has late C17 2-panelled door with bolection mouldings; rear lateral fireplace
with C20 chimneypiece. At the left end of the room is an early C18 2-panelled
fielded door leading into the dairy wing. To the rear of the entrance passage
is the late C17 stair tower; this has an open-well stair, with barley sugar twist
balusters, wide moulded handrail with square newels and scroll patterned string.
Ramped dado panelling. The sash window lighting the stair has ovolo-moulded glazing
bars. On the first landing, there is a 2-panelled door with bolection-moulding,
possibly originally leading to an external stair. The ceiling over the stair
is a truncated pyramid, with conrice with acanthus leaves and scallop shells,
with one angel remaining at one corner, coved ceiling with moulded central square.
At first floor, there is a room to right and left, and a small central room; all
with 2-panelled bolection-moulded doors and bolection-moulded dado panelling.
The small central room has a rear lateral fireplace with C19 chimneypiece. The
room to front right has coved ogee-domed plaster ceiling with moulded cornice.
This room is heated from a gable end fireplace, with C19 grate, set in C18 eared
architrave with bolection-moulded mantel and dentil cornice.
At ground floor, behind the front left room, there is a 2-panelled door leading
to a granite paved passage, which leads into the service courtyard to left. This
passage has chamfered ceiling beams and corner cupboard with butterfly hinges.
At first floor, there is a passage immeidately above the ground floor passage;
the right end of this has 2-panelled bolection-moulded door, and the passage has
ceiling beams which are chamfered with scroll stops. The 4-pane sash lighting
the first floor passage has deep slayed reveals. This would probably have been
a chamber and has been divided circa late C17, with a plank and muntin screen
to form a closet or dressing room, with rows of coat hooks; the chamfered and
scroll-stopped beams are continuous in the closet which has no windows. In the
passage, the back of the external stack projects into the passage; this flue is
not used for the room at first floor to left, which is heated from a gable end
fireplace with C19 chimneypiece. To room to rear left, behind the passage, has
a 2-panelled door and chamfered beams at ground floor, with C20 fireplace at the
gable end; at first floor there are also chamfered ceiling beams. The range at
the rear of the service courtyard is a large single room; the fireplace has chamfered
wooden lintel with cloam oven to rear right. Chamfered ceiling beams. Circa
C19, a straight stair was inserted in the rear of the room, and there is a doorway
to rear left leading into the outshut. The room at first floor also has chamfered
Wooden lintel with cloam oven to rear right and there is a doorway to rear left
leading into the outshut. The room at first floor also has chamfered ceiling
beams. The dairy range at the front of the service courtyard is of 2-room plan;
the dairy has slate floor and slate shelves, granite trough and roughly hewn ceiling
beams. The small room at the end was probably a cart shed/stable, with loft over.
At first floor there is a plank door with strap hinges between the two rooms.
The roof trusses are halved and crossed at the apex, pegged; the collars are
halved to the principal rafters, with 2 rows of purlins resting on the backs of
the principal rafters.
The roof in the main house is continuous over the range to the rear of the courtyard,
the rear kitchen and the passage; the roof forms an L-plan. The trusses have
roughly hewn principal rafters, halved and pegged at the apex; the collars are
cambered, halved and pegged.
The top of the plasterwork ceiling over the stair tower is visible.

Listing NGR: SW9996948580

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17555511

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover