History

Two-storey C17 house of two large units with a cross passage. It was the house of minor gentry, and became a farmhouse after c.1730. A date-stone on the S face of the W unit reads 'FH/E [on shield] / ANNO DOM 1655 / MH'. This stone is known to have been disturbed, but is believed to have been replaced in its proper position. It probably dates the construction or alteration of the unit to the W of the cross passage. The stone refers to Francis Howell and his wife E-----.

Exterior

Random rubble masonry of considerable thickness with larger stones informally at quoins. There is a large kitchen chimney, incorporating stairs, on the E gable. A two-storey outshut on the S side of the E unit beneath a catslide extension of the main roof appears original.

Front and rear walls limewashed, but not the E gable with its chimney; W gable now rendered. Slate roof with small red-brick end-chimney at W. Cast-iron rainwater goods, part missing. Timber barge boards. The front (S) elevation has one window above and two below to the W unit, the right window walled up. There is one window above and two below to the E unit, all modern replacements but in original apertures, plus a small upper timber window in the front outshut. Modern door. The rear elevation has one upper window only, which is modern, in an original aperture, to the right of a large stone buttress. The E elevation has a modern window to the stairs landing in an altered (reduced?) opening and a smaller blocked window above which previously served the loft space. Both have projecting hood stones. These windows are both within the projecting face of the chimney. A glazed enclosure at the rear door stands on the dwarf wall of an earlier small yard.

There are C19 extensions to the house, including two cowsheds; one is in a wing to the N, with a low linking block, the room in the link being a storeroom, with slate cold-slabs; limewashed rubble masonry, asbestos roof. The other cowshed is in tandem at W, also in limewashed rubble masonry, with corrugated sheeting roof. The latter cowshed is now a milking parlour and a concrete-block shed for coolers etc has been added at one corner. Also a lean-to former wash-house N of the house.

Interior

The plan is dominated by a cross passage with a massive wall, nearly 1 m thick, on its W side, and by the large chimney of the original kitchen in the E unit. The E unit has three chamfered beams supporting the chamber floor, one with a simple tongue-stop. The hearth of the chimney is now concealed but a large bressummer is known to remain in situ. To the left of the chimney is a stone staircase with winder steps and a quarter landing. The roof of this unit has three pegged collar-beam trusses.

The W unit contains replaced floor, stairs and roof.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a good C17 vernacular house, dated, with a fine chimney and surviving interior details, plus attached farm buildings.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29497862

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

• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)