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Summary

Southmeads in Lettaford includes the ramains of a 16th century longhouse with later alterations and additions and divided into two dwellings in the 20th century

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1334216: SOUTHMEADS

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/92
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85156

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LONGHOUSE (XVI to XIX - 1599 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 13/04/1947, CPE/UK/1995, 2355 (Aerial Photograph). SDV217286.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Building shown as part of 'Liddaford' on 19th century map.

Alcock, N. W. + Child, P. + Laithwaite, M., 1972, Sanders, Lettaford: A Devon Longhouse, 233 (Article in Serial). SDV348839.

Southmeads at Lettaford, remains as a longhouse with a wall inserted between the entry and the shippon. It is of rubble masonry with jointed cruck trusses. All the visible work is 17th century, though possibly with a Medieval core. Associated buildings include a large barn, a range of pigsties and a seven-bay linhay. Across a lane are another barn and a combined stable and shelter or cartshed. Other details: Figure.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BW, 4-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV339907.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, SX78SW (Cartographic). SDV346261.

Visible and recorded.

Department of Environment, 1987, North Bovey, 160 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV348844.

Southmeads longhouse, now divided into two houses. Built in the early/mid 16th century with later 16th and 17th century modifications, probably 18th/19th century rear outshuts, modernized and extended in the 19th century. Rendered granite rubble walls, exposed at lower gable end and rear. Longhouse plan of shippon, through passage, hall and inner room. Hall originally open to the roof. Two storeys. Interior is relatively unspoilt up to and including hall, above which the second house begins at the inner room which has been completely modernized. Late 16th/early 17th century wooden doorway into hall from passage is chamfered Tudor arch. Wooden newel staircase at rear of hall. Although not a completely unaltered longhouse this building has suffered little enough alteration to make it instantly recognisable as such and more early features are likely to be concealed by 19th and 20th century modernizations.

Thorp, J. + Horton, D., 2011, Southmeads, Lettaford, North Bovey (Report - Survey). SDV348845.

Southmeads appears to be a single phase mid to late 16th century longhouse. It is a long gable-ended two storey block and includes the extensive remains of a late Medieval three room cross passage longhouse built down the hillslope on a roughly east-west axis. It faces south onto a lane and backs onto the former farmyard. The former shippon is the large room at the downhill end off the eastern side of the cross passage. The hall at the western end is separated from the cross passage by a full height stone crosswall which ncludes an axial chimney stack. Around 1980 the shippon was refurbished and converted to domestic use when the main block was extended to the west and the whole place divided into two dwellings.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

Southmeads in Lettaford was Listed on 4th February 1987. The 16th century longhouse has been divided into two houses. Rendered granite rubble walls, exposed at lower gable end and rear. Left-hand axial stack (originally gable) constructed of granite blocks with granite cap and dripmoulds. Central axial stack is rendered, appears to be stone base with brick shaft. Corrugated iron roof with corrugated asbestos to extension, gable ends. Longhouse plan of shippon, through passage, hall and inner room. Hall originally open to the roof, the one possible internal jetty joist surviving at its passage end shows that at some stage, but not necessarily the original one, there may have been a chamber over the passage whilst the hall was still open. The evidence for an internal jetty at the higher end of the hall is not conclusive but there is a strong possibility Hall ceiled probably in early 17th century, fireplace inserted backing on to the passage with a newel staircase in a projection to the rear of the hall. Outshuts added at rear of lower end and hall in the 18th or 19th century. 20th century extension at higher end, shippon probably also converted to store room in the 20th century. Now two houses divided at upper end of hall. Two storeys with one window bay to left which is a 20th century extension. Late 19th and 20th century casements, on first floor is 2-light casement to right and 6-light to left, both with glazing bars. Ground floor has late 20th century aluminium framed casements to left and centre with large 20th century plate glass two light casement to right. Doorway to front of passage is right of centre with 20th century plank door. To its right is single light window on ground floor with loading door to first floor right. Two slit openings on ground floor towards right end with two-light early 20th century casement in between. Formerly there appears to have been a porch to front of the passage as there are two roughly chamfered granite pillars in front. At lower gable end is central single light window on ground floor with ventilation slit to its left. The right-hand corner of the gable end is rounded and stone steps lead up beside it to rear door. At the rear of the house are outshuts built on to the lower end to the right of which the curved edge of the stair projection is just visible.
Interior: is relatively unspoilt up to and including hall, above which the second house begins at the inner room which has been completely modernised. Late 16th/early 17th century wooden doorway into hall from passage is chamfered with Tudor arch. Beside it is the curved end of one possible internal jetty joist which is cut off at the passage side. The hall has three cross beams chamfered with hollow stops. The fireplace is blocked. Doorway has probably 17th century plank door with old strap hinges (doorway now blocked). To the right of it is an unusual intricately carved timber, possibly the remains of a jetty joist. Wooden newel staircase at rear of hall in projection. Base of trusses visible in first floor rooms, jointed crucks, side pegged. No access to roof space. Although not a completely unaltered longhouse this building has suffered little enough alteration to make it instantly recognisable as such and more early features are likely to be concealed by 19th and 20th century modernisations. Other details: LBS Number 85156.

Steinmetzer, M., 2014, Archaeological monitoring and recording at Southmeads, Lettaford, Devon (Report - Watching Brief). SDV357321.

A watching brief was maintained during works associated with the removal of existing concrete floor surfaces. The initial ground reduction for the new flooring extended to a depth of 0.35-0.4 metres.
The removal of concrete floors exposed elements of an earlier surface in the shippon. A further area of earlier flooring survived in the hall fireplace.
The surface in the shippon consisted of small to large size worn granite rubble on a bed of sand that overlay the natural subsoil. Although there is no evidence of a central drainage channel the rough nature of the surface would suggest an agricultural use. The floor is probably part of an earlier arrangement, prior to the shippon being converted to domestic use in the 20th century.
Following the removal of the concrete floor in the hall five large granite slabs were uncovered inside and immediately in front of the fireplace. These formed part of an earlier arrangement; although part of the fireplace floor had been patched up with 20 early 19th century bricks.
No evidence of earlier flooring survived in the cross-passage, parlour and former bathroom due to modern truncation associated with the insertion of concrete floors. No other features, deposits or dating evidence were uncovered following the removal of the modern concrete floors.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5733 - Building Survey at Southmeads in Lettaford
• EDV6603 - Watching brief at Southmeads in Lettaford (Ref: OA1153)

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