Lower Stoford Farmhouse, Wall, Gate-Piers and Boundary Wall Running North-South to the Refectory, Halse, Somerset

Description

The following building shall be upgraded to II*

ST 12 NW HALSE CP LOWER STOFORD

6/155 Lower Stoford Farmhouse,
wall, gate-piers and
boundary wall running n-s
to the Refectory

GV II*

and the description shall be amended to read:

Farmhouse. Circa late C15 or early C16, remodelled later in C16 and early C17.
Plastered and whitewashed stone rubble and possibly some cob. Thatched roof
with gabled and half-hipped ends. Rendered axial and gable end stacks, height-
ened in brick. Plan and development: 3-room and through-passage plan facing
south, lower end to the right (east). Hall and lower end room were originally
open to the roof, both heated by open hearth fires and separated by closed
trusses. The inner room was unheated originally and may have had a solar
above. The first phase of remodelling was insertion of halls axial stack back-
ing onto passage, the addition of lower gable end stack and the flooring of
lower end, probably in C15 and possibly before the hall was floored in circa
early C17. A wing at front of lower end has been removed and an outbuilding
behind lower end is now the kitchen. Exterior: 1 storey and attic. Asymmetri-
cal 5-window south front. Stone rubble gable to right is truncated wing. C19
and C20 3-light casements with leaded panes, first floor in eyebrow half-
dormers. Doorway at centre with ovolo-moulded frame and with old studded plank
door to through passage in later thatched porch; small early 2-light chamfered
mullion window on right and 3-light leaded pane window on left, to left of which
is projecting stair turret with small 2-light chamfered window and long attached
single storey thatched-roof wing. Right (east) gable end has 3-light chamfered
first floor window and small pointed arch window below to curing chamber with
oven and kiln projecting on left with thatched roofs. Interior: Lower east end
room has hollow chamfered cross-beam with step stops and large fireplace with
oven and long chamfered lintel continuing over curing chamber on left and corn-
drying kiln on right. Passage lower side partition plastered over but exposed
doorframe. Original passage-hall doorframe with chamfered pointed arch. Hall
has large fireplace with chamfered timber lintel and moulded stone jambs and
framed ceiling with moulded plaster oak leaves, rosettes and strapwork motifs;
moulded plaster frieze over fireplace with oak leaf and diagonal strip flower
sprays. Inner room has replaced axial beam. Winder staircase rising from hall
and solid baulk newel stairs in turret vent to smoking chamber. The 5-bay
medieval roof structure is complete and smoke-blackened from open hearth fires
in the hall and lower end. Side-pegged jointed cruck trusses with cranked
collars, trenched purlins and diagonal ridgepiece complete with common rafters
and some original wattle instead of battens over lower end. Hall truss has
chamfered arch braces. Hall - inner room and passage - lower end partitions are
closed trusses, smoke blackened on all sides except for inner room side.
Source: E H D Williams; unpublished report in SRO and NBR.

------------------------------------

ST12NW HALSE CP LOWER STOFORD

6/155 Lower Stoford Farmhouse, wall,
gate piers and boundary wall
running N-S to the Refectory
(Lower Stoford Farmhouse formerly
listed)

25.2.55

GV II

Farmhouse. C16, altered early C17. Rendered over rubble, thatched roof, half hipped to left with external rendered
stack and brick chimney, rendered stack to left-of cross passage and on right gable end. Open hall derivative, now 3
cell and cross passage with extension to North, originally farm buildings. One and a half storeys, 5 baysi 3-light
mullion window with glazing bars, 3 dormers, ground floor 3 windows on either side of central doorway, four centre
arched doorway, C20 medieval style door. Right-hand outer bay gabled and projecting slightlt forward with single storey
projection on right-hand side, bacon curing chamber. Rear elevation (present day entrance front) has fine four centre
arched doorway with moulded jambs, and C17 door. Interior: cross passage probably has stud and panel screen concealed
behind board on the right, opening onto original kitchen. Chamfered beams with large diamond stops. Bressumer beam
across East end incorporates moulded lintel to fireplace and round headed entrance to bacon curing chamber on right,
similar opening to original staircase bay on left, both now cupboards. Early C17 staircase turret on North side, with
solid oak steps, added when open hall at West end ceiled. To left of cross passage framed ceiling with steep chamfers,
4 compartments with plaster decoration of oak leaves and cartouches. Incomplete plaster frieze of oak and diagonal
flower vase strips above fireplace. (VAG Report, unpublished SRO, March 1973).

Listing NGR: ST1446328780

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