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Summary

Seventeenth century farmhouse extended in the late 19th century and again in 2004. It is recorded as having a date stone of 1673 in its gable end. This is no longer extant and a modern date plaque has been added over the front entrance.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1326561: KERSWELL FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XVII to XXI - 1601 AD to 2004 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Historic England, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV358087.

Farmhouse. Datestone 1673; mid/late C19 alterations. Colourwashed render over stone and cob; mid C19 gabled slate roof; C17 stone left end stack with drip courses; rendered mid C19 brick ridge stack. 3-unit plan with through-passage to left of central hall; mid C19 outshut to rear. 2 storeys. Front of 1:4 fenestration with lower service bay to left. C20 hood over late C19 half-glazed 4-panelled door. Flat rendered arches over late C19 two and 3-light casements and one horned plate-glass sash. Interior: open fireplace to left; central room has two ovolo-moulded and stopped beams, ovolo-moulded bressummer over open fireplace and 2 early C19 panelled cupboards with HL hinges: first floor not inspected but eaves noted as having been raised in mid/late C19.

Historic England, 2016, Kerswell Farmhouse, Kerswell Farm, Parkham, Bideford (Correspondence). SDV359361.

An assessment has been undertaken of Kerswell Farmhouse in order to correct errors in the list entry. The opportunity has also been taken to assess the granary 20m to the east of the farmhouse for amendment as the location of the building is incorrectly mapped on the National Heritage List for England.
History
Kerswell is a C17 farmhouse. It is recorded as having a date stone of ‘1673’ in its gable end; this is no longer extant. A modern date plaque has been added over the front entrance. A two-storey out-shut was added to the rear in the late-C19 (although not reflected on the Ordnance Survey maps until the mid-C20). The rear elevation originally contained a horned-sash window and casements. At the high end of the C17 range, the roof has been raised at eaves height on both sides. In 1988 the house interior was described as retaining a C19 cupboard with HL–hinges in the central room; the cupboard was removed in the 1990s and one of the ground-floor windows was re-opened. At around this time the front porch was added. In 2004 a single-storey rear cross wing was added, removing part of the late-C19 out-shut wall on the ground floor and new casement windows were added above.
Details
C17 farmhouse, recorded with a datestone of 1673, extended in the late C19 and again in 2004.
MATERIALS: colour-washed render over stone and cob, all under slate roofs.
PLAN: rectangular plan on a north-to-south alignment.
EXTERIOR:a two-storey cottage. The front elevation (east) is five bays. To the left is the single-bay lower end with a three-light, nine pane window on the first and ground floor. To the right is the high end; it has four bays including, on the ground floor a C20 pitched-roof porch entrance with timber-and-glazed front door, two three-light and a nine-pane casement window. On the first floor are two three-light casement windows in the centre flanked by two-light casements on either side. The windows have timber lintels and stone cills. The roof above this high end has an off-centre rendered ridge stack. The north gable end has a side entrance and further casement windows, including one within a single-storey cat-slide addition. To the rear is a two-storey late-C19 out-shut extension that projects from the centre of the C17 range. Also extending from the rear at a right angle is an early-C21 single-storey pitched-roof wing. To the south of the rear elevation is rear of the lower end of the C17 range with a
single-storey cat-slide addition, casement windows with stone cills and a further entrance on
the west face. The south gable end has casement windows and a C17 stone end stack with a
drip course.
INTERIOR:the C17 range has three-room plan with an off-centre through passage. Some doorways have been blocked and access to the north-end room is now made via the later rear corridor. The south-end room has a large open fireplace with a chamfer-and-stopped timber bressumer and a brick-lined bread oven. The central room has an ovolo-moulded bressumer over an open fireplace. Both the south and central room have exposed ceiling beams including two ovolo-moulded chamfered-and-stopped cross-axial beams in the middle room. There are four and six-panelled doors throughout of various phases. The dog-leg staircase leading of the central passage has a late-C19 banister. There is a further stone fireplace with timber bressumer on the first floor. The C17 wooden-pegged collar-roof trusses survive in the roof within a later C19 and C20 structure.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the early-C19 granary approximately 20m east of Kerswell Farmhouse is listed separately at Grade II. There are a number of other agricultural buildings and outbuildings that surround
Kerswell Farmhouse. The earliest group of early-C19 barns is immediately to the east. Further east and to the west are further late-C19 and C20 buildings. They have all undergone repair over the years and are largely stone-rubble and brick construction. The roofs are variously clad in slate and corrugated sheeting. Some have been converted into accommodation.

Historic England, 2016, Kerswell Farmhouse, Kerswell Farm, Parkham, Bideford, Devon (Correspondence). SDV359467.

Following an assessment of the building it has been decided to amend the entry for Kerswell Farmhouse. The building remains listed at Grade II.
Kerswell Farmhouse was first listed in 1988 at Grade II, as was the nearby granary. At the time of listing the farmhouse was recorded as possessing C19 internal cupboards with HL-shaped hinges. The cupboards were removed by a former owner at an unknown date. The local planning authority has confirmed that they do not intend to take enforcement action for this work. The amendment application has been made in order that the changes to the building can be recorded.
The opportunity has also been taken to assess the granary 20m to the east of the farmhouse for amendment as the location of the building is incorrectly mapped on the National Heritage List for England.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

Kerswell Farmhouse. Date first listed: 19-Oct-1988. Date of most recent amendment: 10-Feb-2016
Summary of Building
C17 farmhouse, recorded with a datestone of 1673, extended in the late C19 and again in 2004.
Reasons for Designation
The C17 Kerswell Farmhouse is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as a vernacular building of C17 origins it retains a good level of early building fabric, including early decorative internal joinery; * Architectural interest: it retains clear indications of its historic development and demonstrates the vernacular traditions of the area in much of its built form; * Group value: it has group value with the early-C19 granary 20m to the east of the farmhouse (Grade II).
History
Kerswell is a C17 farmhouse. It is recorded as having a date stone of ‘1673’ in its gable end, however this is no longer extant. A modern date plaque has been added over the front entrance. A two-storey out-shut was added to the rear in the late-C19 (although not reflected on the Ordnance Survey maps until the mid-C20). The rear elevation originally contained a horned-sash window and casements. At the high end of the C17 range the roof has been raised at eaves height on both sides. In 1988 the house interior was described as retaining a C19 cupboard with HL–hinges in the central room; the cupboard was removed in the 1990s and one of the ground-floor windows was re-opened. At around this time the front porch was added. In 2004 a single-storey rear cross wing was added, removing part of the late-C19 out-shut wall on the ground-floor and new casement windows were added above.
Details
C17 farmhouse, recorded with a datestone of 1673 (no longer extant), extended in the late C19 and again in 2004.
MATERIALS: colour-washed render over stone and cob, all under slate roofs.
PLAN: rectangular plan on a north-to-south alignment.
EXTERIOR: a two-storey cottage. The front elevation (east) is five bays. To the left is the single-bay lower end with a three-light, nine pane window on the first and ground floor. To the right is the high end; it has four bays. The ground floor includes a C20 pitched-roof porch entrance with timber-and-glazed front door and a modern ‘1673’ date plaque, two three-light and a nine-pane casement window. On the first floor are two three-light casement windows in the centre flanked by two-light casements on either side. The windows have timber lintels and stone cills. The roof above this high end has an off-centre rendered ridge stack. The north gable end has a side entrance and further casement windows, including one within a single-storey cat-slide addition. To the rear is a two-storey late-C19 out-shut extension that projects from the centre of the C17 range. Also extending from the rear at a right angle is an early-C21 single-storey pitched-roof wing. To the south of the rear elevation is the lower end of the C17 range with a single-storey cat-slide addition, casement windows with stone cills and a further entrance on the west face. The south gable end has casement windows and a C17 stone end stack with a drip course.
INTERIOR: the C17 range has three-room plan with an off-centre through passage. Some doorways have been blocked and access to the north-end room is now made via the later rear corridor. The south-end room has a large open fireplace with a chamfer-and-stopped timber bressumer and a brick-lined bread oven. The central room has an ovolo-moulded bressumer over an open fireplace. Both the south and central room have exposed ceiling beams including two ovolo-moulded chamfered-and-stopped cross-axial beams in the middle room. There are four and six-panelled doors throughout of various phases. The dog-leg staircase leading of the central passage has a late-C19 banister. There is a further stone fireplace with timber bressumer on the first floor. The C17 wooden-pegged collar-roof trusses survive in the roof within a later C19 and C20 structure. The C21 wing to the rear contains a modern kitchen that is not of special interest*.

Historic England, 21/08/2015, Kerswell Farm, Parkham (Correspondence). SDV359066.

Historic England have received an an application to amend the entry for the above building on the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. An assessment is underway.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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