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Summary

A particularly fine, late medieval manor house. The roof is one of the finest 15th century roofs in the south-west with ornamental carpentry. It was remodelled in the 16th-17th century when a first floor was inserted in the hall.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1325489: SOUTH YARDE FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS72SE/15
• Old Listed Building Ref (I)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Built, XV to XIX - 1401 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between)) + Sci.Date

Full description

Reichel, O. J., 1898, The Domesday Hundreds of Devon, part 6. The Hundred of Witheridge, 402, 416 (Article in Serial). SDV49633.

Reichel also gives the Domesday holders as well as the holders in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Saunders, H., 1900, Notes on the history of a North Devon Parish. Aissa, Rose Ash, 213 (Article in Serial). SDV59398.

The manor of Hierda was held by Almar at the time of Edward the Confessor. Angser held it of Baldwin at the time of Domesday.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 392 (Monograph). SDV1312.

Documentary references to Yurde etc go back to at least 1242. Hierda is mentioned in Domesday Book.

Pantin, W. A., 1957, Untitled Source, 141 (Article in Serial). SDV51642.

A hall house with three part plan; central open hall with two-storied part at either end. 15th century.

Department of Environment, 1964, South Molton Rural District, 54 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV320155.

Wood, M., 1965, The English Medieval House, 319 (Monograph). SDV337307.

Hulland, C., 1976, South Yard, Rose Ash (Un-published). SDV354982.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1978, SS72SE6 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV59402.

South Yard is a 15th century house, refashioned in the mid 16th century, with lateral alterations. It is a very interesting medieval yeoman's house with some excellent detail. A two storey building of rubble construction with some cob and brick repair in the east wall. In the 16th century an elaborate panelled ceiling was inserted in the hall (details from DOE South Molton RD, 1964, 54).

Hulland, C., 1980, Devonshire Farmhouses Part V, 146-153 (Article in Serial). SDV50847.

South Yard. A medieval yeoman's house. A detailed account of the building is given in Hulland's article. Plan is a three room, cross-passage layout, and the hall has a fine screen with integral bench. The roof is of jointed cruck construction with arched braces, and one truss has incised decoration. Hulland suggests a date of c.1450-1475 with later modifications.

Alcock, N. W., 1981, Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue, 111 (Report - non-specific). SDV342504.

Jointed cruck recorded.

Department of Environment, 1988, Rose Ash, 84 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV344395.

15th century, refashioned in mid 16th century, with lateral alterations. Rubble with some stone cob and brick repair in east wall; front plastered formerly thatched but now with asbestos sheeting. Two storeys. Stair projection at rear. Indications of the former lateral chimney of hall on north. The arched collar braced roof of hall in three bays remains and is visible upstairs. In the 16th century elaborate panelled ceiling inserted in hall, and central fireplace and stack encroaching on screens passage. Timber framed partition at upper end of hall. Present fireplace in hall is open with cambered wood lintel. Hall has some late C16 panelling. The half newel stair is of stone now encased in wood. Service end of house much altered internally.

English Heritage, 1993, Ancient Monuments Laboratory Reports 14: January to June 1993, 36/93 (Report - Scientific). SDV356336.

Keystone Historic Buildings Consultants, 1993, South Yarde Farm, Rose Ash, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV344396.

Extensive remains of a particularly fine, small, late medieval manor house of sub-gentry status. The roof timbers were felled in the winter of 1447-48. Since medieval carpenters worked in green timber, the house was almost certainly built for Richard Yard, who inherited c.1450. The house had a large hall, and one of the finest 15th century roofs in the southwest, with expensive ornamented carpentry. The carved decoration on truss 3, though unfinished, is extraordinary. There is evidence for 17th century modification. By 1769 the property had been divided into North and South yarde involving a major re-planning of South Yarde. Thereafter, the fine group of cob and stone farm buildings was developed. South yarde is still a working farm. The present owners have done everything possible to keep the house as it was. See extensive report for full details.

Hillam, J. + Groves, C., 1993, Tree ring dates from Sheffield University, 46-7 (Article in Serial). SDV59388.

Tree ring dating of roof timbers gave felling dates between 1309 and 1447.

Groves, C. + Hillam, J., 1993, Tree-Ring Analysis of Oak Timbers from South Yarde, Rose Ash, Devon, 1992, 6 (Report - Scientific). SDV355480.

Dendrochronological analysis of samples from the roof of the medieval farm house resulted in the production of a felling date for the timbers of AD 1447/8 and a tree-ring chronology spanning the period AD 1309-1447. Timbers from later-inserted ceiling were unsuitable for dating purposes.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1325489 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

Farmhouse. Probably late C15/early C16, remodelled with the hall stack and floor inserted in the circa late C16/early C17, some alterations of the circa mid C19. Cob and stone rubble.
Plan: South Yarde is the hall range of a high quality and most unusual late medieval open hall house of courtyard plan, a parallel range across a narrow yard to the north almost certainly being the detached kitchen (North Yarde, separately listed).
Roof An extraordinary roof, both for its construction and for an unfinished scheme of carved decoration on the main truss over the hall.
South Yarde is an outstanding building. The medieval roof is a remarkable survival and the unfinished state of its carved decoration provides important evidence of the methods of a late medieval carver.
See listing description for full details of the house.
Date first listed: 20th February 1967. Date of most recent amendment: 18th October 1988

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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