History

Exceptionally well-preserved farmhouse dated 1673. Unusual plan with service rooms in middle, and hall and parlour at either end. The house survives largely unaltered and retains many good original features. In late C18 Town Farm belonged to William Robert James of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields.

Exterior

Late C17 farmhouse. Thinly coursed, painted rubble stone; slate roof with brick end-stacks. Two storeys plus attic; walls have slight batter. Windows are wooden C17 4-light ovolo mullions and have angled dripstones with dropped and returned ends; some are fixed lights, others opening casements. N front is symmetrical. First floor has three mullions with 2 2 2 2 pane casements. Ground-floor has central entrance flanked by mullions on each side with 4 4 4 4 casements. Entrance doorway with ovolo-moulded wooden frame and flat head, bears date 1673; plank and batten door, strap hinges with bifurcated ends. Immediately left of doorway is small 2-light lobby window; door and window are covered by a single dripmould. W gable has C20 4-pane window on first floor and blocked window on ground floor, both with angled dripstones. Garden front (to rear) faces churchyard. Ground floor has centre 2 2 pane casement and 2 2 2 casements each side. First floor a 4-pane window (left) and another 2 2 2 pane casement (centre).

Interior

Exceptionally fine interior of 1673 containing many features of interest. Entrance into lobby with doorways, right and left, to parlour and hall. These doorways have ornate door-heads: the sides are scrolled and inverted pyramids project down from centre of each arch. Ceiling beams on ground-floor are ovolo moulded, and joists are roll moulded. Parlour fireplace stair has C17 crease door. First floor bedrooms and cupboard has similar doors. Attic and cellar not available for inspection at time of resurvey.

Reasons for Listing

Highly graded II* as an exceptionally fine late C17 house with unusual plan and well-preserved Renaissance facade. Group value with the listed stable block at Town Farm.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Town Farm at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17743571

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)