Description

BEDSTONE C.P.
SO 37 NE
BEDSTONE
8/5
- Manor Farmhouse
1.12.51
- 11*

Manor house, now farmhouse. Late C14 or early C15, extended late C16
and partly rebuilt 1775 with later additions and alterations. Timber
framed partly of cruck construction, with rendered infill on rubblestone
plinth; regularly coursed and dressed limestone to south front of hall
range with roughly coursed limestone rubble below tie beam of west wing
on north; machine tile roofs. Original plan a long open-hall range aligned
east-west with 3-bay projecting cross-wing on east; hall range floored
over in late C16 and wing added to west forming present H-plan. One
storey and attic to hall range, 2 storeys to cross-wings with cellar beneath
east wing. Framing: square panels, 4 from cill to wall-plate to east
wing and more irregular to north gable and to hall range with curving
tension braces to east wing; north gable has slightly cambered collar
and tie beam with V-struts from collar, south gable rendered. West wing
has close-set vertical posts to west side (largely renewed towards north
end). South gable jettied to attic with moulded bressumer and elaborately
carved corner brackets; herringbone bracing and twisted corner colonettes
to first floor. Attic has collar and tie beam end truss with projecting
double-purlin ends. Ground floor of gable and west wall underbuilt in
red brick. North gable has collar and tie beam end truss with V-struts
from collar. Irregular fenestration to north front of hall range and
to east wall of east wing; 3 early C19 leaded casements directly below
eaves to hall range carried up above wall-plate to form gabled eaves dormers,
4 leaded casements to ground floor, some C20 in imitation. Boarded door
to far right in angle with west wing. East wing has a C17 four-light
wooden mullioned and transomed latticed window to left and two C18 latticed
cross-windows in panels of framing to right. Two C19 mullioned and transomed
windows flanking cross-window to ground floor. Boarded door (glazed
to top) to far right of north gable. Fenestration more regular to south
side. East wing has C19 mullioned and transomed window to first floor
and mid-C20 French window to ground floor; C19 gabled eaves dormers to
left and right of hall range, former with C20 casement, directly above
C19 mullioned and transomed window (left) and wide C20 casement (right).
Boarded door with narrow rectangular barred overlight immediately to left
of centre has semi-circular hood with lozenge-shaped datestone beneath,
inscribed "E/lB/1775", which probably refers to the rebuilding of this
wall in stone. West wing has 3-light leaded casement to first floor
and 3-light mullioned and transomed window to ground floor. Large brick
ridge stack with 4 attached and rebated shafts to centre of hall range
and ridge stacks to east and west wings at junction with hall range, former
with twin diamond-shaped shafts; integral lateral stacks to outer walls
of east and west wings, both with stone base and twin diamond-shaped brick
shafts. The tops of all the stacks have been rebuilt in C20 brown brick.
Lower gabled rubblestone outbuilding attached to north gable of west wing
has collar and tie beam end truss with V-struts from collar. Interior.
Main feature is massive true cruck truss roughly to centre of hall range
(to east of doorway on south side, where it has been partly cut away)
resting on huge sole-plate. Each blade is sharply elbowed and broadly
flanged with 7 deep grooves; massive dovetail joint visible to south
blade on first floor. Apex not inspected at time of resurvey (July 1986)
but said to survive in roof space (Alcock apex-type B*). Pair of arch-
braced principal rafters to east of cruck truss and similar principal
rafters visible to east wing. Main ground-floor room (to east of cruck
truss) has inserted late C16 or early C17 deep-chamfered cross-beam ceiling
with triangular-shaped joists. Chamfered ceiling beams in other ground-
floor rooms. Ceramic tile floors to ground floor and wide oak floor
boards to first-floor rooms. Lower gabled outbuilding, converted to
laundry in C19, has stone-flagged floor, circular cast-iron sink with
furnace below and a large bread oven. B.o.E. p. 71; Alcock (1981) p.
143.

Listing NGR: SO3688175570

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17551116

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

• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)