Description

THELBRIDGE
SS 81 SW
3/254
- Upcott Farmhouse
26.8.65
- II

Farmhouse. Probably mid C16 with major later C16 and C17 improvements and C17, C18
and late C19 extensions. Mostly plastered cob on rubble footings, some late C19
exposed rubble with brick dressings; rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20 brick;
slate roof and small section under corrugated iron (all formerly thatched). Much-
altered 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south-east. Former service room
to left (south-west) and now incorporated into C19 farmbuildings. C17 1-room
extension on right (north-east) end. Early C18 kitchen wing added at right angles to
rear of passage and former service room and late C19 wing added at right angles to
rear of right end room. Hall has large axial stack backing onto passage; inner room
has now-disused end stack; and kitchen wing has massive end stack with oven
projection. 2 storeys. Irregular overall 5-window front. Left end (to former
service room) shows mostly late C19 exposed rubble which includes 2 plain doorways
with small unglazed window between and loading hatch over right door. Plastered 4-
window front to what is now the main house, comprising a variety of C19 and C20
casements with glazing bars, one with margin panes. Late C19 6-panel door at left
end to passage and C20 door at right end to extension. Roof is gable-ended to right
and drops down left of passage to corrugated iron roof over former service room.
Good interior of a house with long and complex structural history. The oldest fabric
is exposed in the roofspace where probably mid C16 roof structure survives over
passage and includes a side-pegged jointed cruck truss. It is smoke-blackened as too
is a post set in the hall face of the cob crosswall between hall and inner room which
indicate that the hall and passage area was originally open to the roof and heated by
an open hearth fire. In mid-late C16 fireplace inserted to hall. It is large, of
stone rubble, and has an oak lintel resting on oak pads and a mutilated soffit with
remains of chamfered and pyramid stopped finish. To left of chimneybreast is a
contemporary beam which may be a mid-late C16 bressumer carrying internal jetty of
passage chamber. Hall floored in early-mid C17 by 2 crossbeams, both chamfered with
keeled lozenge stops. Former inner room has mid-late C16 axial beam. It is
chamfered with pyramid stops to extension and straight cut stops to hall side.
Fireplace here is blocked. Extension room has mid C17 plain-chamfered elm crossbeam
and fireplace with its oak lintel soffit-chamfered with bar-runout stops.
Contemporary roof over this section of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed
collars. Early C18 kitchen wing was 2 storeys within living memory but is now open
to roof. It has a very large stone rubble fireplace, its lintel now hidden. It
includes a large brick bread oven to rear and, on either side, doorways to walk-in
smoking chambers. Left doorway is blocked but right is open and smoking chamber is
intact. Original roof of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars and X-
apexes. Former service end was rebuilt in late C19 although rear cob wall is
original. It is now part-floored with massive unfinished crossbeams and late C19
roof.
An interesting multi-phase farmhouse with an unusually large kitchen fireplace
complete with oven and smoking chambers.

Listing NGR: SS8261112791

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26553757

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas