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Summary

Late medieval farmhouse with very thorough 1973-4 alterations and partial rebuilding. Whitewashed rendered cob on stone rubble footings, granite entrance porch; slate roof, gabled at ends; right end stack and axial stack. An important medieval house with an unusual plan form with no inner room and a semi-domestic, semi-agricultural lower end. Felling dates of 1530 - 1540 were obtained through dendrochronological analysis of samples, confirming the dating of the house.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1097799: REED FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• National Buildings Record: 32169
• National Monuments Record: SX88SW42
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 512163
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX88SW/58
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85601

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BARN (XV - 1467 AD to 1499 AD (Between))
• CRUCK HOUSE (Built, XV - 1467 AD to 1499 AD (Between))
• FARMHOUSE (Built, XV - 1467 AD to 1499 AD (Between))
• LONGHOUSE (Built, XV to XVII - 1467 AD to 1699 AD (Between)) + Sci.Date

Full description

Alcock, N. W., 1973, Reed Farmhouse, Christow (Report - Survey). SDV360695.

Survey record of the house by Dr N. Alcock, prior to renovations. Report includes ground plan, elevation and photographs and illustrates shouldered head doors to the rear of the passage and into the lower end. A plank and muntin screen is also mentioned.

Alcock, N. W., 1981, Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue, 109 (Report - non-specific). SDV342504.

Reed Farm. Jointed cruck recorded at Reed.

Timms, S. C., 1983, List of Devon buildings in NMR Recorded Buildings Index, London (Un-published). SDV337271.

Alcock's record deposited in National Monuments Record in 1978. Index cards gives late 15th century date with 17th century alterations.

Department of Environment, 1988, Christow, 64 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV308409.

Farmhouse. Late medieval with very thorough 1973-4 alterations and partial rebuilding. Whitewashed rendered cob on stone rubble footings, granite entrance porch; slate roof, gabled at ends; right end stack and axial stack.
Plan: very altered. A 1973 report by Dr N. Alcock prior to renovations indicates a hall to the left (stack backing on to passage), with a very long lower right end, subsequently divided between service rooms and a barn and a separate cottage at the right end; 1 room plan rear wing off hall, rear right outshuts. The origins of the house are a late medieval open hall, probably floored in the 17th century, the suggested date of the rear left wing. The hall stack may have been inserted before the hall was floored (Laithwaite). The lower end (including the cottage) has been repartitioned and modernised but the hall and passage survive at the left end and smoke-blackened jointed crucks (not seen at time of survey, 1987) are said to survive.
Exterior: two storeys. Asymmetrical 5 window front. 20th century porch to through passage to left of centre with fine 2-centred chamfered inner doorframe.1-, 2- and 3-light 20th century timber casements with glazing bars.
Interior: not thoroughly inspected at time of survey. The roughly dressed granite back of the hall stack is exposed in the passage, the remainder of the partition made up with a plank and muntin screen with doorframe. On the right side a chamfered doorframe leads into the former lower end and a recess marks a former stair leading to what was the loft over the lower end. The hall has a chamfered stopped crossbeam and open fireplace with a timber lintel relieving arch and 19th century bread oven. Lower end modernised: rear wing, first floor and roofspace not inspected but may retain features of interest. A smoke-blackened jointed cruck is said to survive over the hall, a similar clean truss over the lower end. A survey record of the house by Dr N. Alcock, prior to renovations is deposited in the National Monuments Record. The report includes ground plan, elevation and photograph and illustrates shouldered head doors to the rear of the passage and into the lower end. A plank and muntin screen is also mentioned: these features not seen at time of survey but may survive if not in situ.
An important medieval house with an unusual plan form with no inner room and a semi-domestic, semi-agricultural lower end.

Vernacular Architecture Group, 2017, Dendrochronology Database (Un-published). SDV360697.

Reed Farm. Unusual late medieval house with open hall, cross-passage, long floored lower end. First tree-ring date for a Devon building. Felling data range of 1530-1540.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Building is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1097799 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

CHRISTOW SX 88 SW 5/82 Reed Farmhouse II
Farmhouse. Late medieval with very thorough 1973-4 alterations and partial rebuilding. Whitewashed rendered cob on stone rubble footings, granite entrance porch slate roof, gabled at ends ; right end stack and axial stack.
Plan: Very altered. A 1973 report Dr N. Alcock prior to renovations indicates a hall to the left (stack backing on to passage), with a very long lower right end, subsequently divided between service rooms and a barn and a separate cottage at the right end ; 1 room plan rear wing off hall, rear right outshuts. The origins of the house are a late medieval open hall, probably floored in the C17, the suggested date of the rear left wing. The hall stack may have been inserted before the hall was floored (Laithwaite). The lower end (including the cottage) has been repartitioned and modernized but the hall and passage survive at the left end and smoke-blackened jointed crucks (not seen at time of survey, 1987) are said to survive.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 5 window front. C20 porch to through passage to left of centre with fine 2-centred chamfered inner doorframe. 1-, 2- and 3-light C20 timber casements with glazing bars.
Interior: Not thoroughly inspected at time of survey. The roughly dressed granite back of the hall stack is exposed in the passage, the remainder of the partition made up with a plank and muntin screen with doorframe. On the right side a chamfered doorframe leads into the former lower end and a recess marks a former stair leading to what was the loft over the lower end. The hall has a chamfered stopped crossbeam and open fireplace with a timber lintel relieving arch and C19 bread oven. Lower end modernized : rear wing, first floor and roofspace not inspected but may retain features of interest. A smoke-blackened jointed cruck is said to survive over the hall, a similar clean truss over the lower end. A survey record of the house by Dr N. Alcock, prior to renovations is deposited in the NMR. The report includes ground plan, elevation and photograph and illustrates shouldered head doors to the rear of the passage and into the lower end. A plank and muntin screen is also mentioned : these features not seen at time of survey but may survive if not in situ. An important medieval house with an unusual plan form wih no inner room and a semi- domestic, semi-agricultural lower end.

Pratt, N., 2017, Reed Farmhouse, Christow, 19/12/2017 (Personal Comment). SDV360696.

Daisy wheel and apotropaic marks noted on inner (hall) face of the plank and muntin screen.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 01/06/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

Related Archives/Objects?
Object Number: BF032169, Object Title: REED FARM, CHRISTOW
Scope and Content: File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate (NRHE record).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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