Description

MORCHARD BISHOP
SS 70 NE
5/114 Middlecott Farmhouse
-
- II

Farmhouse. Probable C16 core, rebuilt and enlarged in early-mid C17, modernised
circa 1980. Plastered cob on rubble footings; rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20
brick; circa 1980 slate roof (formerly thatch). South facing main block with cross
wing at left (west) end projecting to rear. Main block apparently derived from C16
3-room-and-through-passage house with inner room at right (east) end. Service room
replaced in early C17 by crosswing of higher quality rooms, 2 with lobby between C18
stair block built to rear of passage in angle of wings now contains circa 1980
stairs. Projecting rear lateral stack to hall, projecting lateral stack to front
room of cross wing and projecting gable end stack to rear room of cross wing. 2
storeys. Irregular 3 window front of casements of various size and date, including
circa 1980 PVC windows at left end and late C19-early C20 timber casements with
glazing bars at right end. Passage door left of centre and secondary service door
to former inner room (right of centre), both containing C20 plank doors with small
lozenge windows. Left room in cross wing is slightly higher than rest of main block
with hipped roof. Roof also hipped to right. Rear room of crosswing has late C19
three-light horizontal sliding sashes with glazing bars on each floor. Stair block
includes 3 pigeon holes and has a pantile roof. The chimney shaft of the hall stack
includes some early C19 brick.
Good interior. Both former hall and inner room have late C16-early C17 chamfered
and step-stopped axial beams, the former set rear of centre and latter with broad
chamfer. The hall fireplace has a replacement lintel. The crosswing is early-mid
Cl7. The front room has oak plank-and-muntin screens to the passage and to the rear
lobby, the latter incomplete. Both have ovolo-moulded posts and head beams to the
room, chamfers with scrolls on reverse. The 2 crossbeams are plain chamfered and
stone fireplace has oak lintel with rebated ovolo moulding and keeled step stops,
similar to fireplace in rear room of crosswing. Roof has been raised but some
original timbers survive including a closed large-framed truss over passage-hall
partition which contains, at first floor level, and scroll-stopped doorway with an
early plank door hanging on plain strap hinges. Other early features may survive
behind C19 and C20 plaster.

Listing NGR: SS7585807318

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26542345

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

• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey