The Glebe House, St Columb Major, Cornwall

Description

ST COLUMB MAJOR MARKET PLACE (north side),
SW 9063-9163
St Columb Major
17/239 The Glebe House
7.1.52
GV II*

House. Late C16 - early C17; dated 1638 on rainwater head, the date of alterations.
With later alterations of C19 and some C20 alterations. Slatestone rubble at ground
floor; timber-frame and slate-hung at first floor. Partly roughcast. Slate and
asbestos slate roof with ridge tiles and gable ends. Axial and gable end stacks with
brick shafts.
Plan: What remains is a fragment of a formerly larger house; there would have been a
passage and another room at the left end, removed circa early C19. There is a recess
in the left-hand wall of the room to left, which may represent the site of a former
doorway into a passage. The present room to left would have been the hall, heated
from a stack at the left side, formerly backing on to the passage. The inner room is
to right, heated from a stack at the left side. In 1638, the house was remodelled
and extended. A 2-room plan addition was made at the rear of the hall, to create a
stair hall and a rear kitchen, heated from a rear gable end stack, with a small
unheated room behind. The height of the building was raised to 2 storeys over the
hall and 3 storeys over the inner room, jettied out, and with the second floor room
to right reached by a second stair at the rear. Probably in circa C18, a small lean-
to was added at the rear of the inner room. The main entrance was made into the
front of the inner room, probably after the house was altered circa early C19, when
the passage and room to left were removed; probably at the same time, the hall was
used as a shop, with door and shop window inserted in the front. The right hand room
is used as a tea-room.
Exterior: The hall to left has a hall bay; ground floor has square bay shop window,
of 24-panes with glazing bars; narrow plank door with glazed panel to left. At first
floor a 3-light bay window of early C18 with casements, central light of 9-panes and
the outer lights of 6-panes with sidelights and L hinges. Oversailing gable above-
with decorative slate-hanging, supported on carved brackets with pierced decoration
and pendant finials. Lead rainwater head to right dated 1638. The bay to right is
set back, of 3 storeys. Ground floor has 3-light casement, 3-panes, 6-panes and 6-
panes, with cock's head hinges, timber lintel continuous over the door to left, which
is a C20 replacement. The first floor level is blind at the front, with a heavy
rubble corbel to left supporting the upper gable and the sidelight of the bay window
at the right side, of 4-panes. The oversailing gable has decorative slate-hanging
and 5-light 8-pane casement with cock's head hinges. The whole of the upper storey
at the front and at the right side is resting on a moulded timber wall-plate.
The right side is rendered at ground floor. The first floor has a C17 bay window,
with 5-light casement, ovolo-moulded wooden mullions and all C19 4-pane lights
inserted. The second floor is jettied out above, with a gable end decorative slate-
hanging and a 4-light window, with wooden ovolo-moulded mullions and iron stanchions,
C20 glazing inserted. In the gable, the ends of the purlins project beyond the wall
face. To the right, there is no window at ground floor, and a small gable with
decorative slate-hanging to right over the upper stair hall; to end right a 3-light
C20 casement lighting the upper flight of stairs. There is a blocked window below.
The gable end to left is slightly advanced, and at second floor level the window has
a small 4-pane sidelight, set at a diagonal. At the rear, there is a gable end to
left with the upper part slate-hung. 2-light 4-pane C20 casement at first floor.
Ground floor to left has single storey lean-to with stable door and large 6-pane
light. To right is the 2-storey rear wing, originally the lower end of the house;
this has a gable end stack with brick shaft; the inner side has C19 6-pane sash at
ground floor and C19 3-light 6-pane casement at first floor. There is a later
addition of one-room plan at the end, at a higher roof level, probably of circa C19;
this has C20 window at ground floor and C20 2-light casement at first floor. Single
storey C20 lean-to at the end.
Interior: The ground floor room to left is the hall; this has fireplace rebuilt in
C20 and the wall stepped forward at the front to the hall bay; ceilded. The front
room to right has roughly hewn beams, fireplace rebuilt in C20. The end to rear has
the beams running from front to rear, with a heavy beam across, cambered. In the
rear wall there is a stone sink set within the depth of the wall on the window cill.
The stair hall is to rear of the hall, with a wide dog-leg stair of the early C17,
probably 1638; the upper flight retains the C17 turned balusters with moulded
handrail and square-moulded newels. There is a cupboard under the stair with a plank
door with strap hinges. The rear room to left has large gable end fireplace with
chamfered wooden lintel and large cloam oven to rear; this was originally an external
stack, the outer wall inside the room added to rear. There is a blocked window in
the wall to left, which was originally at the front of the house. The addition to
rear also has thick walls, and was probably added circa late C17 - early C18.
At first floor, the front room to left and the room to rear left both have 2-panelled
doors of the early C17, with moulded panels and good ironwork with fleur-de-lys strap
hinges. The front room to left has one truss surviving, probably of the original
build, although much rebuilt; this has principal rafters and supports the probabilitv
that the house originally ran on the same axis as it does now. The principal rafters
are halved and pegged, with a cambered collar, originally notched, and re-set above.
Formerly had trenched purlins. There are two large beams running across in the
position of former wall-plates. The room to rear has stud partition walls and
roughly hewn beams arranged as a dado rail. The fireplace at the rear gable end has
timber lintel with chamfer and run-out stops. Truss with principal rafters, and
collar chamfered with run-out stops. The front right room has roughly hewn beams;
plank door with strap hinges; fireplace with moulded timber lintel. There is a
straight flight of stairs at the rear right, leading to the second floor room; turned
balusters with moulded newel with acorn finial, all of early C17; there is a moulded
grip handrail. The room at second floor has 5-bay roof, with principal rafters and
collar, much rebuilt; principal rafters with collars and two rows of trenched
purlins; the upper collars have small arched braces. Principals halved at the apex.
The fireplace has moulded wooden lintel with scroll and bar stops.
The house was probably originally larger than it is now, extended further to the
left; the position of the surviving truss over the hall roof indicates that the
building has always been aligned roughly east/west and that what survives is the hall
and inner room of a formerly larger house, which was considerably enlarged and
remodelled circa 1638. The room to rear right, in this case, would have been an
early rear wing.

Listing NGR: SW9130363633

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

History in Structure

The Glebe House

A Grade II* Listed Building in St Columb Major, Cornwall

Coordinates

Description

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