Description

NORTH MOLTON LAMBSCOMBE HILL
SS 72 NE
14/165 Lambscombe Farmhouse
- II
Farmhouse. Circa 1500, altered and enlarged probably in the early C17. Minor mid to
late C19 and mid C20 alterations. Squared and coursed sandstone to ground floor,
with chamfered plinth to bay and left-hand end, and rendered cob to first floor.
Enlarged in stone rubble (see differing masonry). Rendered to sides and rear.
Gable-ended asbestos slate roof, formerly thatched (tops of stacks rebuilt in C20 red
brick).
Plan and development: Circa 1500 three room and cross passage plan, facing south
(site falls to left). Former late-Medieval open hall house, consisting of hall with
projecting square bay to front, cross passage and service room to left and inner room
(present kitchen) to right. Formerly open to the roof (probably continously from end
to end with rooms divided by low partitions). C17 alterations included the insertion
of the first floor, insertion of the axial stack in the left-hand end of the hall
(backing onto the cross passage), and the insertion of the integral end stack to the
service room and the insertion of the external lateral stack to the rear of the
former inner room. C17 addition at right-hand end consisting of second cross passage
with newel stair in square projection at rear and probable former kitchen to right
with integral stack to front (since truncated). Full-height recess in front wall
forming porch to right-hand cross-passage entrance. Eaves of c.1500 range probably
also raised in the C17. Further, probably late C19, alterations include the division
of the right-hand end room kitchen to form a dairy at the rear, and the division of
the left-hand end room (former service room) to form a smaller room at the rear.
Staircase inserted at rear of left-hand cross passage, probably also in the mid to
late C19. Thatched roof removed and further raised in the mid C20. The projecting
bay to the was probably part of the C17 remodelling. It is possible that the hall
was not floored when the rest of the house was, remaining open to the roof for some
time before the eventual insertion of the floor later in the C17. The cob partition
wall to the light of the hall appears to be smoke blackened on the left-hand (hall)
side is the roofspace. The roof appears to have been open from end to end over the
c.1500 house since there is a smoke-blackened purlin (albeit reused) over the kitchen
section. Not enough of the late-Medieval roof remains (or is visible) to be sure.
Two storeys.
Exterior: Asymmetrically-fenestated front; 7 first-floor probably mid C20 two-light
wooden casements, 3 ground floor probably early to mid C20 three light wooden
casements and probably early to mid C20 two-light ground-floor casement to right.
Ground-floor windows with C20 concrete lintels. Projecting gabled bay with weathered
plinth (probably formerly chamfered) and sub plinth, and small square ground-floor
squints in each side. Left-hand cross-passage doorway with C20 half-glazed door
approached by C20 slate steps and right-hand cross passage doorway between first and
second windows from right with C19 boarded door and C19 pegged chamfered frame with
broach stops. Projecting semi-circular bread oven to stack at rear of present
kitchen.
Interior: Former hall has C17 ovolo-moulded spine beam, C17 open fireplace with
chamfered wooden lintel and C19 surround, and bench along right-hand wall, running
into bay. Former inner room (present kitchen) with slate-flagged floor, boxed spine
beam, plastered C17 chamfered wall beam to front, partly blocked C17 fireplace to
rear retaining wooden lintel, and bench on left-hand side wall and front wall, with
matchboarded back. Left-hand ground-floor room (former service room) and cross
passage remodelled in the C19, with 4-panelled doors etc. Staircase at rear of
passage. Left-hand room divided by later partition, forming small room at rear.
Right-hand (C17) cross passage with slate-flagged floor and C17 oak winder staircase
in projection at rear. Right-hand ground-floor room (possibly former kitchen) has
C17 chamfered cross beam with stepped runout stops, and C17 open fireplace in front
wall with dressed sandstone jambs, chamfered wooden lintel with stepped runout stops,
and recess in wall to right (possibly formerly cupboard). Right-hand end room has
been divided by central later partition (with slats above), forming dairy to rear.
Dairy with low slate shelves and gauze-covered windows with wrought-iron bars and
internal shutters. Cob dividing wall between hall and inner room. Substantial
remains of c.1500 smoke-blackened roof, including side-pegged jointed cruck truss
between hall and cross passage (partly embedded in later hall stack). Probable
former cruck truss between former inner room (present kitchen) and C17 cross passage
to right not visible in roofspace (possibly truncated), but evidence of rear blade
visible in bedroom wall. Late Medieval roof with scarf-jointed trenched purlins.
Only one purlin noted at time of survey, reused in C17 roof construction over former
inner roof. Cob cross wall between hall and inner room rising up into roofspace and
blackened on the left-hand (hall) side. Smoke-blackened post embedded in this cross
wall with V-shaped notch at end, formerly to carry former late-Medieval diagonally-
set ridge-piece (this suggests that there was not a late Medieval truss at this
point). Most of c.1500 roof replaced in C17, when eaves raised. C17 pegged trusses
consisting of principal rafters and collars and with pairs of purlins and ridge-
pieces. C20 roof structure above the old roof.

Listing NGR: SS7655929244

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26509119

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  For the Record