See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

East Week farmhouse originated as a longhouse in the 17th century with later additions and alterations. It was was used as a workshop from the late 19th or early 20th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1106031: WORKSHOP APPROXIMATELY 80 METRES SOUTH WEST OF EAST WEEK FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SE/82
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 1106031

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XVI to XVIII - 1600 AD to 1750 AD (Between))
• WORKSHOP (XIX to XX - 1875 AD to 1935 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Building shown on 19th century map.

Lega-Weekes, E., 1901, The Neighbours of North Wyke: Part 1, 339-468 (Article in Serial). SDV347144.

East Week, or East Wyke, consists of a double cottage and another row opposite. Many mullioned granite windows, external oven, high pitched roof. Probably 17th century. In 1901 it was decayed and likely to be demolished.

Cox, J. + Thorp, J. R. L., 1991, The Disused Farmhouse at East Week (Report - Survey). SDV347145.

The disused farmhouse at East Week is built onto the southern side of the lane at the eastern end of the hamlet. It consists of a 19th century double farmhouse set back at right angles from the south side of the road and shows three phases of development. The original building was a 16th century hall house with walling of local stone rubble. In the 17th century the building was raised using cob walling and the hall was floored. A corrugated iron roof replaced the earlier thatch. The screen and the headbeam of the passage rear doorframe are the only 17th century features. The house was modernised and reroofed in the late 17th or early 18th century. In the late 19th or early 20th century the farmhouse was converted to a workshop when all the internal features north of the hall cross beam were removed to create a large open space to the roof and a large doorway was inserted through the north end wall.

Thorpe, J. + Horton, D., 2009, Four farm buildings at East Week, South Tawton, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV359811.

Unknown detail; report not available.

Phelps, A., 2011, Historic Building Recording at East Week Farm, South Tawton, Devon, 15-16 (Report - Survey). SDV359810.

Survey has recorded key structural elements – the blocked window, the cross passage screens and the staircase – within the building in enough detail to allow them to be removed, repaired and, if required, rebuilt.
The northern cross passage screen dates from the early the early 17th century, while the southern screen and much of the passage floor date from the later 17th century, a time when the house was being remodelled in line with contemporary fashion.
The staircase is more problematic than the screens as it is not certain if it is part of the late-17th century rebuilding or if it is a 19th-century structure; it also contains many modern repairs. Either way in its current form it has little historic or architectural value and it is perhaps the location of the stairs rather than the stairs themselves that is significant. The stairs occupy a fairly typical location in this type of building and it is considered that the replacement of the stairs, using some of the existing timbers if they are suitable, would retain the way people moved through the interior and preserve the character of the building.
Little is to be done to the first floor window and although it has clearly been partially blocked at some point it is not possible to date when that occurred, nor is it clear why it was blocked.
The cobbled floors in the passage way and the main barn are important elements of the building. It is considered that the one in the passage is the more significant of the two as it was part of the visible and public space of the building and, even though it was hard wearing and practical it was also quite decorative. It was constructed from close-packed pitched stones and probably dates from the later 17th-century remodelling of the barn.
The original use of the cross passage layout was to separate livestock and living space and it is likely that this is how East Week barn developed from the later medieval period. The late 17th-century remodelling maintained the basic patterns of movement of the cross passage house. Therefore, it is possibly the patterns of movement that should be maintained in order to preserve and enhance the character of the building and its history.
Overall the structures recorded during this survey are in poor condition and will require substantial repair, replacement and reconstruction. In some cases, such as the staircase, it is questionable what historic value they have and whether any renovation should seek to retain the overall character of the building rather than individual features.

English Heritage, 2011, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV346128.

Workshop, formerly East Week farmhouse. Early 17th century with some later 17th century improvements, disused as a farmhouse and converted to a workshop in the late 19th or early 20th century. Plastered cob and stone rubble; disused stone rubble stacks; corrugated iron roof, formerly thatch. Plan and development: originally a 3-room-and-through-passage plan house built down the hillslope and it faces east. The former inner room and hall have now been knocked together to provide the main workshop space. The inner room used to be uphill at the right (northern) end. It was apparently unheated and may have been a dairy. Hall has a large axial stack backing onto the passage. 17th century winder stair to rear of hall at lower end. Service end room has a projecting gable-end stack. Secondary outshot to rear of hall has an outer lateral stack. The house is largely the result of a major mid 17th century refurbishment but the original house was probably some kind of open hall house. House was two storeys but the former inner room and most of the former hall are now open to the roof. Exterior: irregular 4-window front of 19th century windows, mostly with internal shutters. Passage front doorway is left of centre and contains a 19th century plank door. Fine passage rear doorway contains part of a 17th century oak doorframe; its ovolo-moulded lintel, and the plank door is very old. The roof is gable-ended. The uphill right gable-end wall contains a full height doorway with segmental head which was knocked through in the late 19th-early 20th century to the workshop. Interior: both sides of the passage are lined with oak plank-and-muntin screens. The earliest (probably early 17th century) is the short section to rear of the hall stack; its muntins have filleted ovolo mouldings with scroll stops. The lower passage screen (mid 17th century) has a plain scratch-moulded head and the muntins have broad bead mouldings. The service end fireplace is blocked. The axial beam here has plain soffit chamfers and extends over the passage where the soffit has been cut away with shaped scroll-like edges to provide more headroom. Its joists are bead-moulded. The hall fireplace is granite ashlar with a hollow-chamfered surround. The hall crossbeam is ovolo-moulded and the surviving joists (the lower end bay) are bead-moulded. The upper hall crosswall and any carpentry detail associated with the inner room have been removed. 6-bay roof of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars. East Week is a straggling hamlet which contains several other listed buildings Other details: LBS Number 1106031.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Building on the south side of the road at East Week shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5008 - East Week Disused Farmhouse Survey
• EDV7094 - Historic Building Recording at East Week Farm, South Tawton (Ref: 2709)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.