Description

PARRACOMBE BODLEY
SS 64 NE
3/119 East Bodley Farmhouse
-
GV II
Farmhouse. 1638 by datestone, remodelled and extended in 1754/5 by date plaques.
Unrendered stone rubble, slate roof with gable ends. Impressively tall rear lateral
hall stack with offsets and slate drip, ashlar stack with cavetto moulded cap to
front gable end of parlour wing and brick stack at right gable end.
1638 range appears to have consisted of two room and through-passage plan,hall to
left heated by rear lateral stack which has projecting lean-to stair turret to its
left, and lower end, possibly originally unheated to right. In 1755 a projecting
parlour wing was added at the upper end with an additional passage between it and
the hall and a shallow two-storey porch in the angle, its roof heightened in C20.
The rear gable end wall of the parlour was built forward of the rear wall of the
hall, so probably in C19 the resulting rear angle was infilled with a lofted storage
room with external rear access only.
Two storeys. 3 window range to main range. All late C20 fenestration except for 2
2-light casements 6 panes per light at right end of upper storey. Projecting gable-
ended stone rubble porch with slate roof. Semi-circular headed doorway with dressed
stone voussoirs. Date stone over RB 1B.
1638
Inner door has C17 chamfered surround, the left-hand jamb replaced, with enriched
weathered stop to right-hand jamb and original plank door with cover strips. C20
fenestration to parlour wing. Plank door to shallow two-storey porch in angle with
roof heightened in C20. Pronounced straight-joint at left end of hall. Slate
plaque in gable end wall of parlour wing "This house was built in 1754 by John
Blackmore/Elizabeth".
Interior: despite C20 exterior and some interior alterations many, principally C18,
features survive. 2 chamfered cross ceiling beams to hall, that towards lower end
with hollow step stops and date 1739 with initials IB carved on soffit, beam to
upper end with run out stops. Chamfered bressumer set into upper end, formerly
gable end wall of hall, and part of chamfered beam with hollow-step stop exposed on
lower side of through-passage; also set in solid stone partitioning. Thin partition
with vertical dado match boarding between through-passage and hall. Narrow chamfer
to door surrond between hall and parlour wing. Dressed stone jambs to hall
fireplace, original timber lintel concealed by C20 one. Parlour has decorative
plaster ceiling with large central roundel with 4 angle sprays radiating from centre
and cyma reversa moulded plaster cornice. Fireplace rebuilt in C20. Small chamber
over also has central decorative plaster roundel but without central spray and two
sides remaining of plaster cornice. Large chamber over parlour has plaster plaque
inscribed John Blackmore/Elizabeth/1755. All the principal chambers to main range
and parlour wing have C18 raised and fielded 2 panelled doors with narrow chamfered
door surrounds with scroll-stopped durns. C17 roof trusses intact to main range
with halved and lapped collars and 2 tiers of trenched purlins.

Listing NGR: SS6667045084

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26462436

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

• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)