Description

SS 80 SW UPTON HELLIONS

3/287 Upton Hellions Barton including
cider-house and store adjoining
to north-east

II*

Gentleman's home, now farmhouse. Built circa 1566 for Dr George Carew, modernised
circa 1792 for Richard Read and again in C19 and C20. Volcanic and mudstone
rubble, plstered on front; rubble stacks with C16 rubble and C19 and C20 brick
chimney shafts; thatched roof to domestic ranges, slate roof to cider house. 3
adjoining blocks ranged around rear courtyard. Main block facing south-east has
3-room and through passage plan with small inner room at right (north-east) end
and high quality parlour at left end with kitchen/services in rear south-west
wing. North-east rear wing behind inner room is now a cider-house and store.
Rear lateral stacks to hall and parlour and large lateral kitchen stack to south-
west range. Circa 1692 stair block added to rear of parlour. 2 storeys
throughout with attic rooms to main block and cellar beneath parlour. Plastered
south-east front has symmetrical fenestration at left end around front door and
irregular at right end giving overall 5 window elevation of C19 and C20 casements
with glazing bars. Main door is left of centre behind late C19 gabled and tiled
roof with trellis sides. Original circa 1566 oak doorway has elliptical head, a
double hollow-chamfered surround with ornate pyramid stops and contains studded
oak plank door with strap hinges of same date. C20 secondary door at right end
and north-east gable end largely rebuilt in C20. Roof is hipped to left and left
corner has C16 offset buttress of volcanic ashlar. All other elevations of
exposed rubble. Left (south-west) end of main block has circa 1792 fenestration;
a first floor 4-light flat-faced mullion window with iron casements and leaded
glass, and 2 similar 3-light windows to ground floor replacing single C16 window
indicated by central Beer stone hoodmould. South-west wing to left has C20
windows each side of enormous projecting kitchen stack which has moulded drip
course at top below C16 tall paired chimney shafts with moulded capping across
both. Roof has half-hipped end. End wall has central ground floor C16 oak 4-
light ovolo-moulded mullion windows but first floor rebuilt with C20 brick. The
courtyard side of the wing includes a C16 oak door frame with ovolo-moulded
surround with straight cut stops containing oak plank door hanging on strap hinges
with fleur de lys terminals. Rear of main block contains late Cl7 stair block to
right, rear passage door with C16 oak door frame with double-ovolo moulded
surround and containing studded oak door with moulded vertical cover strips, and
at left side large projecting hall stack with original chimney shaft and remains
of moulded capping. North-east range has 3-window courtyard front of C20 plain
mullioned windows (mostly unglazed) heavy oak door frame with chamfered surround
and slate roof.
Good interior: although most C16 and Cl7 features are concealed by C19 and C20
work. Through passage has double-ovolo moulded beam. Plastered hall-passage
screen is said to comprise C16 oak small-panel screen with moulded rails and
muntins. Hall now subdivided, the fireplace blocked and ceilings lowered.
Parlour has high ceiling carried on plain chamfered crossbeams and includes
supposed garderobe closets in front wall (and similar blocked closets apparently
serves first floor chamber). Circa 1692 dogleg stair to rear of parlour has
closed string, square newel posts and turned balusters. The first flight has half
balusters and handrail applied to wall and across concealed cellar door which
hangs on H-L hinges. Main block roof is also circa 1692 comprising the beam
trusses with high collars and low queen struts (all pegged mortise-and-tenon
joints) carrying chamfered butt purlins. The ties take the upended plank joists
of attic floor. Rear block has side-pegged jointed cruck roof. The cider house
has part floored apple loft and contains a cider press and C19 machinery. C19
king-post roof.
Sources: Correspondence between Prof. W G Hoskins and house owners.

Listing NGR: SS8378403472

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531084

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 Care and Repair
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990