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Summary

Farmhouse, early 16th century with major later 16th and 17th century improvements, and some 19th century alterations. Thoroughly renovated and partly rebuilt in the late 19th - early 20th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1098178: UPTON FARMHOUSE INCLUDING OUTHOUSE ADJOINING TO SOUTH

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XV to XIX - 1401 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

Farmhouse. Early C16 with major later C16 and C17 improvements, some C19 alterations, thoroughly renovated and partly rebuilt in the late C19 - early C20. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; parts are rebuilt with local sandstone rubble, and the late C19 - early C20 walls are brick; stone rubble and brick stacks topped with C20 brick; thatch roof to the main block, the rest is slate roofed. Plan and development: the main house has an L-plan. The main block faces east. It has a 2-room plan with a central through passage. The right (northern) room has a large projecting gable-end stack and the left room has a rear lateral stack which it shares with the first room of a 2-room plan rear block. This rear block projects at right angles that end and the rear room is the kitchen with a gable-end stack. On the left (south) end of the house main block is an outhouse, now used as an agricultural store, which forms a crosswing and projects forward at right angles to the main block. This house has been much altered over the years. It seems that the main block derives from an early C16 3-room-and-through-passage plan. The main block now contains the former lower end service room (at the right end), the passage and the hall (the left room). There was once an inner room occupying that part of the outhouse adjoining the main block. The original house was open to the roof from end to end, it was divided by low partitions and was heated by an open hearth fire. All the evidence for the development of the main block was hidden or removed in the late C19 - early C20. Nevertheless the stacks serving the main rooms are large enough to suggest C16 or C17 dates. The section of theouthouse which projects forward was a 2-room plan parlour wing built in the late C16 - early C17. The first room was a fine parlour. It was probably heated by lateral stack in the outer (southern) wall but this was rebuilt in the C19 and therefore there is no evidence for it. There was a small unheated room (maybe a buttery) at the front end. In the C19 all internal partitions were removed, the roof was rebuilt , the outer wall rebuilt and the building converted to an agricultural outhouse. House is 2 storeys. Exterior: the main block has a symmetrical 1:1:1-window front of early C20 mullion- and-transom windows with glazing bars, the first floor windows of the outer bays have gables over. The centre bay is an early C20 2-storey gabled porch which breaks forward only a short distance from the main block. The lower stage of the porch has an elliptical outer arch with trellis sides. Behind it is a good late C16 - early C17 front doorframe; an oak Tudor arch with a moulded surround and it contains a very good contemporary studded oak plank door with moulded coverstrips, strap hinges with fleur-de-lys finials and oak lock housing. The main block roof is tall and steeply-pitched and is half-hipped each end. The front (north side) of the outhouse has its original late C16 - early C17 oak- framed windows; a ground floor (former parlour) 5-light window and first floor (former parlour chamber) 4-light window, both with richly-moulded reveals and mullions. A doorway to left (to the former buttery) has a contemporary oak Tudor arch doorframe and contains an old plank door. The outhouse roof is hipped at the front end. Interior: of the main block is largely the result of the C19 and C20 modernisations although the early layout is still preserved. Tnere is a heavily restored late C16 - early C17 oak plank-and-muntin screen along the former hall side of the passage and another similar screen is said to have been removed from the other side. In both rooms the beams are boxed in and the fireplaces are blocked by C20 grates. The former inner room (now in the outhouse) has a C20 beam and much of the outer walls have been rebuilt. However much of the original roof survives. It was originally 3 bays (including the inner room end). Now only the truss over the former hall -inner room partition remains; it is a side-pegged jointed cruck. The other truss (over the hall-passage partition) was removed in the early C20 although the original purlins and ridge were left (and propped up). There is an original hip cruck at the service end. The roof over the former inner room section has been rebuilt although the stubs of the purlins show that it extended over that part of the house. All the original timbers (and including the common rafters, battens and original thatch which still remains at the front over the main block section) are heavily smoke- blackened from the original open hearth fire. There is evidence of a smoke louvre over the former hall. The outhouse/former parlour crosswing has late C16 - early C17 carpentry detail. The parlour itself has a 4-panel ceiling of richly-moulded intersecting beams and the exposed joists are moulded with step stops. The former buttery has a chamfered and step-stopped crossbeam. The roof structure is C19 and carried on a series of king post trusses, however the front (north) wall has the posts of the original side-pegged jointed cruck trusses. Upton Farmhouse forms a group with its adjacent courtyard of traditional farmbuildings (q.v). In front of the house stands a cast iron statue of the Blue Boy. It is one of the original 4 from the School of St Johns Hospital in Exeter which was destroyed by bombing in 1943. The farmhouse still belongs to the St Johns Hospital Charity.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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