Bodinnick Farmhouse and Attached Front Garden Wall, St. Stephen-in-Brannel, Cornwall

Description

ST STEPHEN IN
SW 95 SE BRANNEL
4/111 Bodinnick Farmhouse and attached
- front garden wall

GV II

Farmhouse, with attached front garden wall. Circa early - mid C17 with re-used
datestone: 1602; remodelled and extended in late C17. Extended and refronted and
dated 1765, with illegible initials, possibly IOB; with alterations and additions of
mid - late C19 and few later alterations. Granite rubble with granite dressings;
front in granite ashlar. 2-span slate roof with ridge tiles; in the front range,
gable end to left with stack with granite shaft, hipped end to right. Rear lateral
stack to right with brick shaft. Gable end stack to rear left range with brick
shaft.
Plan: Originally a 2-room and passage plan. The room to right heated from a rear
lateral stack and the room to left probably originally with a gable end stack to
left. Circa late C17, the interior was remodelled, and a dairy with apple loft over
was added to rear right. The apple loft is entered from a stair behind the room at
first floor to right and may originally have been used as a closet. In 1765, the
house was extended at the left end; the left-hand room became a large entrance hall,
and a room was added at the left end, heated from a gable end stack; the front was
re-faced in ashlar. At the same time, a parallel rear range was added as a kitchen
to rear left, heated from a gable end stack at the left end. A stair hall was built
at the rear of the original left-hand room. Later in the C19, a rear wing of one
storey and loft was added to the left, as a scullery/kitchen, unheated. The wall
encloses a shallow garden at the front of the house.
Exterior: 2 storeys, symmetrical 3-window front. To right, a tall chamfered plinth
remains from the early house. Ground floor has C19 2-panelled door with overlight,
set in recessed doorway at the centre of the centre with keystone. Granite datestone
above with initials, possibly IOB 1765. Large C19 C16 16-pane sash with voussoirs
and keystones to right and left. First floor has three C19 25-pane sashes with
voussoirs and keystones; second from right is a blocked window opening. The end
window to right has re-used datestone of 1602. Cast iron gutters with lion masks.
At the right end there is a C19 16-pane sash with timber lintel at ground floor and
C19 20-pane sash at first floor. Set back to right is the dairy and apple loft of
late C17; this has 2-light C17 granite window at ground and first floor, both with
hollow-chamfered mullions and surround, with 4-pane lights at ground floor and 3-pane
lights at first floor. At the left end, there is a blind gable end to right; gable
end to left has two C20 12-pane windows at ground floor. At the rear, to right,
there is a C20 16-pane window at ground and first floor, with re-used chamfered
granite lintel at ground floor. The rear wing is to left, of single storey with
loft; there is a plank door at the outer side, a 2-light 3-pane C19 casement in the
gable end and C19 2-light 6-pane casement at the outer side. The rear of the dairy
has plank door at ground floor with keystone and voussoirs; first floor has C19 2-
light casement and 4-pane sash.
The front garden wall is in granite rubble with granite coping, about one metre high
and about 30 metres along the front; circa 1800. There is a central gateway with
plain piers and wooden gate.
Interior: The entrance hall has granite paved floor, probably remaining from the
original left hand room of the early C17 house. 4-panelled C19 door to the front
rooms to right and left. The room to front right has a rear lateral fireplace with
C19 chimneypiece and alcove to each side. The front left room has been much
remodelled. In the kitchen to rear left, the gable end fireplace has chamfered
granite lintel with step stops, re-used. C19 ceiling beams. The dairy has an
inserted fireplace to rear with cloam oven, slate floor and slate shelves, with the
racks for suspended shelves and roughly hewn ceiling beams. To the rear of the
entrance hall, outside the original rear wall of the house, is a dog-leg stair with
stick balusters. At first floor, the room to front left has C18 2-panelled fielded
door and C19 chimneypiece. There is a small central chamber with bolection-moulded
architrave to the doorway; the doorway to the front right room also has bolection-
moulded architrave, and 2-panelled bolection-moulded door; the doorway and door to
the apply loft are also bolection-moulded. The room has rear fireplace with fine
bolection-moulded chimneypiece with bolection-moulded panel overmantel. Formerly has
moulded plaster cornice. The apple loft has a coved ceiling and a short flight of
stairs leading into it, with some barley-twist balusters remaining, and moulded
handrail.
The roof trusses are continuous over the original two rooms to front right; these
have all been removed, but remain on site. The trusses had roughly hewn principal
rafters, halved and pegged at the apex; 2 rows of trenched purlins, and collars with
a pronounced chamber, dovetailed, halved and pegged to the principals. It seems
probable that 1602 is the original date for the house, although this may not have
been the principal building on the site, as the stable about 50 metres west (q.v.)
has a high quality of stonework and may represent a fragment of a much larger house.

Listing NGR: SW9501652112

External Links

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