Description

INSTOW
SS 42 NE
3/67 Middle Huish
GV
II

Farmhouse, now private dwelling. Late C16, remodelled in late C18/early C19 with
late C20 alterations. Rendered stone rubble, cob and some brick. Slate roof with
gable ends, scantle slate roof to single-storey rear kitchen wing. Stone rubble
stack with tapered cap at right end, lateral front hall stack demolished and
rebuilt in C19 as lateral brick stack to rear enclosed in 2-storey outshut.
Complex plan development. The late C16 house consisted of hall and inner room, the
hall heated by the demolished front lateral stack, the inner room by the gable end
stack. Stair turret to rear upper end of hall. The lower gable end of the hall
has been entirely rebuilt in late C18/early C19 when a canted bay window was added
(since demolished) probably replacing a lower end and through-passage. At the same
time, a passage was made at the lower end of the hall with a doorway created at
this front left end. At the upper end of the hall, a further partition was
introduced to create a small dairy between the hall and inner room. The rear stair
turret was also enlarged creating a 2-storey outshut to the rear of the hall. At
this period the house appears to have been in 2 occupations. In C19 a short right-
angled rear single storey kitchen extension and a dairy/scullery with lofted
granary was added at right upper end. In late 1970s/early 1980s the central dairy
was altered to form a wide through-passage with the creation of a central doorway,
and part of the passage partition at the lower end removed.
2 storeys. 2-window range, the main range breaking forward slightly above the
hall. Sash, 3 over 6 panes to left and C19 4-light casement, 6 panes per light to
right. Ground floor has C20 French windows at left end, 12-paned horned sash to
left and sash 3 over 6 panes to right of entrance with C20 porch and 4-panelled
door, the upper panels with cusped heads, brought from a chapel at Lynton. Steps to
door at gable end of granary.
Interior: chamfered ridged scroll-stopped ceiling beam to hall. Chamfered ceiling
beam with run-out stops and bressumers to inner room, with unusual decorative
pyramid stops. Creamery to left of inner room fireplace with renewed timber
lintel. Cl7 chamfered door surround to hall/inner room doorway. C18 4-panelled
door to rear of present entrance hall. Geometrical staircase with moulded
handrail, every third baluster replaced. Interesting roof structure. Over hall
are 3 trusses with morticed and tenoned cranked collars, 2 tiers of threaded
purlins and ridge purlin, the majority of rafters intact. At the lower end the
purlins have been roughly sawn off, suggesting a similar structure extended beyond
the present gable end wall. The truss at the upper end forms closed stud partition
between hall and inner room. Suspended beneath this section is a barrel ceiling to
the principal chamber over the hall, now divided into 2 rooms. Over the inner room
and 2 trusses with straight principals, probably of C18 date. No evidence of
smoke-blackening.

Listing NGR: SS4886329705

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26610887

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

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback