Description

CHITTLEHAMPTON
SS 62 SW

3/87 Court

-
- II

Farmhouse, now private dwelling. Probably early C16, remodelled in late C16 and
again in early C17, extended probably in late C17. Rendered stone rubble and cob
above first floor level. Thatch roof with gable ends. Tall front lateral hall
stack with tapered cap and drip, rendered stack to left gable end and demolished
stack at right gable end.
Plan 3-room and cross-passage plan with no rear outshuts. Clear multiphase
development. Originally apparently a 2-room and cross-passage open hall house
probably with low-screen partitions, the roof heavily smoke blackened from lower
(left) gable end to thick hall/inner room cob partition which rises to apex of roof.
Lower end ceiled first, jettied into hall, the jetty beam directly below the closed
hall truss, the partition smoke-blackened on the hall side only. Secondary closed
partition, clean on both sides, to-lower side of through-passage and unrelated to
the lower end truss. Hall proper ceiled probably in late C16 or early C17, when
probably the staircase was added at the lower end of the hall running from front to
back beside the hall/passage screen. The staircase was subsequently removed in C20,
the only staircase remaining being a C19 insertion in the front right corner of the
lower end. The inner room at right end appears to be an addition of the late C17,
and was within living memory occupied as a separate cottage. The lower end gable
wall was largely rebuilt in late C19, a short length of front wall continuing to the
left of the stack suggesting the lower end may have extended originally further to
the left.
2 storeys. 4-window range. Early C20 fenestration all 3-light casements 3 panes per
light. Ground floor has late C20 fenestration, a 2-light casement 12 panes per
light to left of C20 door of 2 leaves to cross-passage, and C20 windows to hall and
inner room all with timber lintels.
Interior. Lower end has chamfered lintel with straight cut stops to fireplace with
bread oven. Chamfered headrail of screen to lower side of passage. Plank and
muntin screen to hall side of passage known to survive but entirely concealed in
C20. Hall fireplace partially rebuilt in C20 but timber lintel survives. Large
chamfered cross ceiling beam to lower end of hall, with axial ceiling beam morticed
into it. Chamfered half beam to rear wall. The similarity of the stops on all the
beams - all keel stops, suggests the original jetty beam may have been replaced when
the hall ceiling was inserted, perhaps because of the insertion of the hall
staircase in the unusual position on its lower side. Inner room has chamfered
scroll-stopped fireplace lintel. Blocked doorway to rear wall on both floors.
Roof structure accessible only over hall and lower end. 2 raised cruck trusses with
morticed and tenoned cranked collars, 2 tiers of butt purlins and threaded ridge
purlin, and additional purlin trenched into the elbow of the crucks forming a kind
of wall plate on rear side only. All roof members, including battens rafters and
underside of thatch to front side are heavily smoke-blackened. Closed stud and clay
jamb partition over lower side of cross-passage clean on both sides and closed
partition to hall truss smoke-blackened on hall side only.
Court was the ancient court-house of the manor. In the C18 it was occupied by the
steward of the Rolle family.

Listing NGR: SS6293924938

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26641098

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

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings