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Summary

Large farmhouse with late medieval origins, subsequently remodelled and extended. The roof contains smoke-blackened timbers indicating that the original house was open to the roof. A pound house was added at the lower end of the house in the 18th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1107288: CROSS FARMHOUSE
• SHINE: Traditional farm buildings marked on nineteenth century mapping, within the curtilege of Listed Building C16th Crosse Farmhouse

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS72SW/11
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Built, XVI to XVIII - 1501 AD to 1800 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

HULLAND, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV6435.

Full survey of house (copy in westcountry studies library) (hulland).

HULLAND, IN TDA, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87689.

Cross. A large impressive farmhouse of medieval origin. Hulland publishes an account of this in tda 1980. Original plan of house was three rooms with cross passage. There is a jettied solar over the hall. The screen to the cross passage originally had a bench. The roof is hipped, with cruck trusses. At the west end of the house is a pound house, and at the east end a cider store, wine store and parlour. On the south wall is a single bee bole. Hulland suggests a late 15th century date for the house, with 16th, 17th and 18th century modifications (hulland, in tda).

ALCOCK CITING HULLAND, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87690.

Short curved feet cruck recorded (alcock, citing c. Hulland).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87694.

Hulland, c. /tda/112(1980)165-168/plan.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87695.

Alcock, n. W. /cruck construction(cba res rep 42)/(1981)113.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87696.

Des=hulland, c. /list of historic houses/(1982)/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87697.

Doe/hhr:south molton rd/(1964)5.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV87698.

Des=keystone/devon dendro project/(k397/16)/(1997)9.

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV326982.

C17, exceedingly picturesque. Thatch. Lateral stack. Exposed beams. Front was originally on north, where porch faces yard (doe).

Unknown, 1997, Interim Report on Devon Dendrochronology Projcet (Report - Interim). SDV230147.

Vis=14/12/1996 (keystone) the 6 bay gable-ended roof survives intact. The roof space over the inner room end is completely inaccessible but the rest is thoroughly smoke blackened, indicating that the original house was open to the roof, and heated by an open hearth in the hall. It is complete with common rafters, battens and original base coat of rye thatch. Service end bays are less heavily sooted since they were only exposed to the smoke that carried over a crosswall on the lower side of the cross passage. The inner room may have been separated by a low partition and the roof may be sooted. The hall face of the jettied first floor chamber crosswall is sooted (under later limewash) proving that the chamber was certainly late medieval since it was in existence before the hall acquired a chimney stack. The roof is carried on a series of upper cruck trusses which sit on timber spreader pads set high in the wall. Timbers failed to date by dendro analysis. Late 15c-early 16c date suggested (keystone).

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Large farmhouse at southern end of farmyard.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England, 1107288 (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

Cross Farmhouse. Farmhouse. Late medieval origins, part floored in the circa late C16, remodelled in the C17 (probably 1624: datestone) and possibly also extended at this date. C18 pound house added at lower end and higher end wing possibly extended and remodelled at the same time. Plastered cob and stone rubble; thatched roof with a plain ridge gabled at ends; rear lateral hall stack, lower end stack (now axial), both with brick shafts, axial stack to north-east wing. Plan: Described in detail by Charles Hulland ('Devonshire Farmhouse', V, TDA (1980), vol. 112, pp 165-168). The present arrangement is L plan: a south facing main range with a north-east wing at right angles to it. The centre of the main range originated as an open hall house, lower end to the left (west), hall in the centre and an inner room at the higher end. The inner room was floored in the circa late C16, jettying into the hall. Major alterations took place in the C17, the north porch to the former passage is dated 1624 and the flooring of the hall and addition of the hall stack and adjoining hall bay are probably also of the same period as is the flooring of the lower end room and addition of lower end stack. The south end of the passage was altered to take a stair rising against the front wall with access from the lower end, the stair blocking any evidence of a south entry to the passage. Hulland suggests that the north-east wing, consisting of a parlour on the same axis as the main range and a wine and cider store to the north, is an C18 addition, likely to be contemporary with the pound house, adjoining the lower end room at the west. A wide straight stair has been introduced into the old inner room, adjacent to the east wall of the medieval house. Hulland dates this C19 but it may be earlier, judging from the doorframes on the first floor that give access to the room over the parlour in the north-west wing and to the room over the former inner room of the medieval house. The former inner room has been subdivided into a dairy to the north and entrance lobby to the south with a probably C19 south porch. The wine and cider store of the north-east wing have been converted to domestic use. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 5 window north elevation, facing the yard. Porch to former passage to right of centre dated 1624 with the initials HB in the gable. The outer doorway, converted to a window, preserves a cranked chamfered timber lintel. To the left of the porch the projecting lateral hall stack and hall bay, the hall bay with a large blocked window converted to a smaller C19 window. To the left a plank door leads into the dairy, 2-light C20 window to ground floor left. To the right of the C17 porch a C20 lean-to with a door into the lower end kitchen, door and loft door to pound house at right end. 1- and 2-light C19 first floor small pane casements. The inner return of the north-east wing has a C20 flat-roofed porch in the angle with the main range, a C20 glazed door in the centre and a 2-light casement to ground floor left. 2 C19 2-light first floor small pane casements. A flight of external stone steps against the north end wall of the wing leads up to a blocked loft door converted to a window. The south elevation of the main range, facing the road, has a probably C19 gabled porch to the right of centre and a C20 2- leaf glazed door to the left of the porch. Casement windows, mostly 2- and 3-light C19 small pane. The east elevation of the wing has ground floor windows only, four 2- and 3-light C19 and C20 casements. The gable end of the pound-house has 2 windows with C19 brick arches. The ground floor of the pound house was originally open- fronted and 3 stone pillars survive internally. Interior: Good survival of high quality features with others likely to be concealed behind wall plaster. The C17 hall has a fine plank and muntin screen at the higher end retaining the original doorframe into the inner room. Well-finished joist ends, chamfered and stopped, support the jetty over the screen which retains a shaped C16 or C17 bench end. The bench has been dressed-off but the remains of the brackets can be seen and the bench is intact in the hall bay. 4 plastered-over cross beams are chamfered and probably stopped. There is an C18 cupboard on the south wall with original hinges. The fireplace is C20 but an earlier lintel exists behind the wall plaster. The lower end room has a massive fireplace, partly blocked, and a good C17 ovolo-moulded doorframe with decayed stops to the former passage - the doorframe surprisingly grand for its position. The north porch has been converted to a bathroom but retains the chamfered timber frame of the inner doorway with a depressed head. The parlour at the east end of the main range has a C20 fireplace and plastered-over cross beam. On the first floor a C19 window with margin panes and coloured glass lights the east end stair and 2 richly carved C17 doors, presumably re-sited, survive on the first floor of the north-east wing. Roof: Not inspected at time of survey but described by Hulland. 5 sooted late medieval trusses with short curved feet, Alcock Type 'E' apexes, mortised collars and trenched, purlins survive, including the medieval rafters, battens and sooted rye thatch. A fine evolved house of medieval origins with good interior features.
Date first listed: 20th February 1967

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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