Description

OTTERHAM OTTERHAM
SX 19 SE
3/116 Churchtown Farmhouse
GV II

Farmhouse. Probably C16 with C17, C18, C19 and C20 alterations including the parlour
wing dated 1682. Colourwashed stone rubble, partly roughcast. Rag slate roof with
gabled ends; bitumen-coated front slope of main range. The adjoining lower end
outbuilding has exposed stone rubble walls with corrugated iron roof at lower level
with gable end. Rendered front lateral stack; gable end stack of parlour wing to
right has rebuilt brick shaft.
Plan : 3 room and through passage plan, the lower end to the left is an outbuilding,
the hall has a front lateral stack and the inner room to the right is unheated. In
1682 a parlour wing with a gable end stack was added to the front of the higher right
end, and in the C18 to C19 outshots were added to the front of the hall and passage,
behind the inner room and part of the hall, and outshots were also added at the back
and front of the lower end.
The development is uncertain but it seems that the original house consisted of the
hall, possibly open to the roof, the through passage and the lower end which has been
rebuilt but may have been a shippon. The inner room was also possibly part of the
original plan and the relative thinness of its walls would be due to the possible
rebuilding of the higher end wall. There are solid partition walls at the higher and
lower ends of the hall and on the lower side of the passage, all of which only rise
to the first floor level; the partition wall on the lower side of the passage is
noticeably irregular and over it the only surviving original truss (an open truss) is
quite blackened which may not be smoke-blackening from an open hearth fire. The
ceiling beams and joists in the hall are C17, the date of the flooring of the hall if
it were originally open to the roof. The parlour wing was added to the front of the
higher end in 1682 (dated window label) and may be coeval with the hall ceiling, the
insertion of the front lateral hall stack and the raising of the roof of the main
range. The lower end seems to have been rebuilt in C18 but retains its original
ridge level. In C18 and C19 some remodelling was carried out for there are C18 doors
on the first floor and an early to mid C19 framed staircase was inserted into the
inner room. The site of the original staircase is not known. The dairy outshot at
the back of the hall and inner room, the outshot in front of the hall and passage and
the outshots at the front and back of the lower end are all additions probably of C18
and C19. The outshot at the front of the hall and passage blocked the passage
doorway and a new doorway was inserted into the front of the higher end of the hall
through the outshot which forms a porch here. Alterations in C20 include the
replacing of the roof over the main range and the conversion of the lower end into a
garage.
2 storeys. Asymmetrical 2 window front plus 1 window in gable end of projecting
parlour wing to right. 2 C19 gabled half-dormers in main range either side of front
lateral chimney stack; across the front a lean-to outshot with small C20 windows and
lateral panelled door to right. Projecting parlour wings to right with a ground floor
3-light chamfered granite mullion window with a hood mould and square label stops
dated 1682. Similar but smaller first floor window above without a hood mould, and
above that in the gable a small single-light chamfered granite frame window blocked
with a piece of slate; all these windows are on the left side of the gable end. The
inner face of the wing has a C20 ground floor casement and a circa late C19 2-light
first floor casement with glazing bars. The outer side of the wing leans outwards
and is supported by 2 large raking masonry buttresses; the end wall of the inner room
is straight and set back slightly; this side of the house has irregular fenestration
of C19 and C20 small casements and the dairy outshot. The lower gable end of the
outbuilding is open and C20 garage doors have been inserted.
Interior : the hall has a chamfered cross beam and joists all with scroll stops; the
lateral fireplace has a chamfered slightly cambered timber lintel and granite jambs,
its oven has been partly removed and a C20 range inserted. At the opposite side and
at the lower end of the hall a circa early C19 bench, partly flush-panelled and
partly boarded. The parlour fireplace is said to have a granite surround but it is
now concealed. Early to mid C19 framed staircase in the inner room with stick
balusters and square newels. On the first floor are 2 C18 2-panel doors.
Roofs : Over the parlour wing hardwood trusses with straight principals crossed
lapped and pegged at the apex and the collars are lapped to the faces of the
principals. The roof over the main range has bolted soft-wood trusses. The roof
over the lower end (outbuilding) has trusses with lapped and pegged apexes and
collars, but 1 truss over the partition on the lower side of the passage has square
section principals, 1 of the blades has curved foot and the apex has a mortice and
tenon joint. This truss is very dark but it is not clear whether smoke-blackened.

Listing NGR: SX1674590763

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26517081

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments