Description

WIDECOMBE-IN-
SX 67 NE THE-MOOR
1/138 Cator and Higher Cator
-

- II

Former longhouse, now extended and divided into 2 houses. C16 with later additions.
Shippon at south end rebuilt in C20; north end extended, with lean-to on west side,
in C20. A long lean-to on west side, probably mostly of C18 or early C19; parts of
it could be earlier. Granite rubble. The original house-part is thatched; present
owners say the lowest layer of thatch has not been removed in their time. Granite
rubble chimneystack on each gable; that on south (heating former hall) is of small
stones and has a tapered cap that on north is of larger stones but with a plain top.
The other roofs are covered with asbestos slates, except for the lean-to on west
(facing road), which has real slates. The basic plan appears to be the traditional
3-room one, but with a long inner room at the north end; this has now been sub-
divided, leaving a cross-passage on the south and a smaller room (now part of Higher
Cator) on the north. The hall has its stack backing on to shippon (on the south)
with a winding staircase in a shallow turret beside the stack on the east. There is
now no cross-passage at the north end of the shippon, but one is reported to have
existed before this end of the building collapsed in early C20. 2 storeys; lean-
tos single-storeyed. East front, facing garden, is 4 windows wide in the old house-
part. Windows are mostly C19 wood casements with 2 or 3 panes per light, but left-
hand second-storey window is early or mid C18; it is of 3 lights with lightly-
moulded wood mullions, the 2 outer lights having diamond-shaped leaded panes of old
glass. At left-hand end is the slightly projecting, rounded stair turret with a
single, small stone-framed window. The front wall of the hall to right is built out
almost level with the turret. To right of this again is the doorway into the
inserted cross-passage; it has a C20 stone porch with a re-used segmental-arched
granite doorway brought from a barn at Huccaby Farm, Lydford. The windows flanking
the porch in ground storey have granite lintels, that to right being chamfered. The
C20 lean-to at right-hand end has an early C16 stone window-head with 2 moulded
round-arched lights, brought from Lizwell Farm, Widecombe; the left half of the
left light is a restoration. The west front, facing the road, is almost entirely
concealed by the lean-to, which has mostly small-paned wood casement windows, except
for 2 C20 metal casements at the right-hand end. Higher Cator (to left) has an old
plank door. Cator has an old chamfered granite doorway with a flattened 4-centred
arch; this was brought from Peak Hill farm, near Yelverton. To left of it is a
small square window (now blocked) with hollow-moulded granite jambs extending almost
the full height of the opening. Beneath it is an old granite mounting-block with 3
steps.
Interior: Hall has chamfered upper-floor beams with straight-cut stops; plain
joists. Fireplace has hollow-moulded right jamb and lintel of granite. Left jamb
rebuilt; in this side is an oven with stone-framed opening. To left is the winding
staircase with granite steps. Stone wall at upper end, rising only through ground
storey. Inner room not inspected (except for the inserted passage); owner says
gable-fireplaces on both floors (now blocked in) have plain granite lintels. Former
shippon has original drain, now floored over. Back of hall stack, facing former
cross-passage, is plain. House-part has old roof-trusses with plain feet; no
inspection hatch to roof-space.
Source: information from the owners, Sir Guy and Lady Sayer.

Listing NGR: SX6830576834

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26534307

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)