Description

MORETONHAMPSTEAD COURT STREET (south side),
SX 7586
Moretonhampstead
8/108 No. 1
-
GV II

House with shop premises, originally probably only a house. Circa late C15 or
early C16 with later C16 and early C17 alterations, extended probably in C18 and
remodelled in C19. Stuccoed granite rubble with some cob. Asbestos slate roof
replacing thatch, hipped at left (east) end and gabled end abutting No. 3 to right.
Original plan and later development uncertain but it is likely to have been 3 rooms
possibly divided by low screens. Position of passage and orientation uncertain
although the left (east) end is physically the lower end. The right (west) end was
probably the hall, possibly of 2 bays which would mean No. 3 (q.v.) was the higher
end. No. 3's roof is also smoke-blackened but it is a later structure at a higher
levels In C16 or early C17 floors were inserted, probably the ends first and
lastly the hall was floored when the hall stack was inserted. It appears to be an
axial stack. Probably in C18 the left (east) end was extended a little to the left
(east) and rear and a lateral rear stack was built to heat the back room of a
divided east end. The eaves were raised probably when floors were inserted and
possibly again in C19 when the exterior was remodelled and the shop inserted in the
left (east) end and a lean-to added to the rear south.
2 storeys. 3-window range. First floor 3 late C19 sashes with horizontal glazing
bars only. Ground floor C20 3-light casement to right, small plate glass window at
centre, and small late C19 double-fronted shop to left which continues around left-
hand return. Shop has plate glass windows and simple fascia. The left-hand return
end (east), 3-window range of late C19 sashes with horizontal glazing bars only the
rear facing Pound Street has splayed corner to right, rendered lateral stack to
right and stone rubble lean-to with rounded corner to left.
Interior: 3 smoke-blackened trusses over west (left) end. East truss smoke-
blackened on both sides, more heavily on west side, triangular apex block, apex
notched for diagonal ridge, and principals trenched door purlins, smoke-blackened
rafters set on back of principals, side pegged morticed almost straight collar with
plastered wattle and daub panel above smoke-blackened on both sides. Middle truss
also entirely smoke-blackened with plated yoke halved into apex held by nails and
with very small notch on top presumably for diagonal ridge. These principals have
holes for threaded purlins and cambered collar with chamfered soffit morticed to
principals.
The west truss is also smoke-blackened on both sides, threaded diagonal ridge end
threaded purlins. Later plaster conceals collar. Later truss in adjoining
building No. 3 (q.v.) abuts at higher level. It is lightly smoke-blackened. The
cut-off trenched purlins would have continued over roof of No.1.
The east end appears to have been at one time the parlour and has framed ceiling
with intersecting beams with ogee and hollow moulding and similarly moulded joists
with run-out stops. The half beams of this ceiling are not against the east and
north walls showing how these walls have been rebuilt enlarging the room. An C18
stack with fireplace was built on north side and has timber corbels supporting the
half beam of the earlier framed ceiling. On the west side of the room part of a
plank and muntin screen exists under a plastered partition. The ceiling beam in
the west room, probably the hall, has been covered over and the fireplace blocked.
This is among the earliest buildings in Moretonhampstead Town and one only 4 or 5
with Medieval smoke-blackened roof timbers. Medieval roofs are rare in towns. The
roof truss with the unusual apex yoke is particularly noteworthy.

Listing NGR: SX7527286027

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26595300

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)