History

There is no direct dating evidence for this small farm-house, though medieval origins have been suggested. It is certainly sub-medieval in form, so may perhaps be C17. It appears to have originated as a 2-bay single storeyed house, which was extended by a single bay. Internally, the croglofft may be original; partitions which had survived until recently but have now been lost divided the main space laterally into two bays, but the unit served by the main fireplace was also divided longitudinally. This was probably a later modification, perhaps contemporary with the additional of the lateral chimney serving the previously unheated left-hand parlour bay. Certainly in more recent times, this fireplace had replaced the large early one as the cooking fireplace. Until it was abandoned in c1953, the house served a 10 acre holding: farm-buildings - barn, cowhouse and pigsties remain on the site, but in ruins.

Exterior

Small house. Single storeyed, and built in two distinct sections. The 2-bay original range is to the right (north), with massive external stack on right-hand gable and lateral stack on front wall. Beyond is a further bay added to the left, with small stack to gable. Red sandstone rubble, with some dressed stone (eg in chimney stacks), still carrying the remains of heavy limewash. Tin sheet roof over the original section (covering thatch), though the offset to the substantial chimney and the roof of the circular bread oven that projects from it are of bedded slate. Additional unit to left has slate roof.
The 2-bay main part of the house has doorway offset to right, and small window to its right, close to the junction with the chimney. Small window to left of doorway retains 2-light timber casement. Beyond this is the lateral chimney stack, a shallow projection with offsets, its upper section rebuilt or heightened in brick. To the left is the later unit, with a slightly lower roofline: it has a single two-light window, and a stone end chimney with slate drip-courses.
At the rear, the original unit has a projecting bed-alcove at the back of the former parlour bay; a small window lights what was once a pantry at the back of the original hall bay.

Interior

Original section has two-unit plan, with doorway into the right-hand, hall bay. This has croglofft, and the original fireplace which has cambered timber bressumer, and domed, brick-lined bread oven. Croglofft is supported on 3 small longitudinal beams (those nearest doorway delineating the entrance to the loft), with roughly chamfered joists. Loft partition has pegged truss, and is studded (a ground floor partition has been lost, but there is a small change in floor level marking the division into two bays). Two further pegged trusses visible in the loft: these are halved and pinned and have minimally lapped collars. All timber-work has been lime-washed. A longitudinal partition to a small pantry at the rear of this bay has been lost. In the croglofft the remains of a thatched roof are visible: straw thatch, secured to split battens by rope.
Over the parlour bay, the feet of a further truss are visible; boarded ceiling. Small fireplace on front wall of parlour bay, and shallow bed alcove to rear. Added unit beyond (latterly a bedroom) has small fireplace with timber lintel on gable wall: This bay is open to the roof, which has 2 pegged trusses, crossed at the apex to support a ridge beam.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a remarkable survival of a very small dwelling of early type and form, with traditional construction and planning.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29505713

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

• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (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)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey