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Summary

Farmhouse at Moortown Farm, Gidleigh. Dates to at least the 16th century with major late 16th and 17th century improvements and further 19th century modernissation. Originally a thatched open-hall house.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1308438: MOORTOWN FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NE/214
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 94705

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XV to XVI - 1500 AD to 1599 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

'Moortown' farm depicted on the Tithe Map; 59 on the Gidleigh apportionent. The farmhouse lies at the south-eastern side of the yard, with narrow rectangular buildings to the west and north-west.

Grumley-Grennan, T. + Hardy, M., 2000, Gidleigh. A Dartmoor Village Past and Present, 117-120 (Monograph). SDV359347.

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

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

Farmhouse. 16th century origins with major late 16th and 17th century improvements, some 19th century modernisation .Granite stone rubble with large dressed quoins, front is roughcast; granite stacks, both with their original granite ashlar chimney shafts with moulded coping; asbestos slate roof (formerly thatch).
Plan: 3-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south-east and built down a gentle hillslope. Inner room parlour at the right (uphill) end with gable end stack. Hall has an axial stack backing onto the passage and there is a stair turret projecting to rear at the upper end of the hall. Unheated service room at the downhill end but there is no apparent evidence for its use as a shippon. Roof was not available for inspection at the time of this survey and (if the original still survives) it would be this which would provide evidence of the early development of the farmhouse. Nevertheless the layout is enough to indicate that it was originally an open hall house. It is now two storeys with 20th century outshot to rear of hall.
Exterior. Irregular 4-window front, all 20th century casements with glazing bars and contemporary door left of centre to front of passage. Roof is hipped to left, gable-ended to right. Rear passage doorway has a plain oak frame of indeterminate date which contains an attractive old studded plank door with strap hinges. Good interior is both well-preserved and only superficially modernised. The service end room is divided into dairy and stores. The crossbeams here are plain and maybe 19th century replacements (maybe indicating its conversion from a shippon to domestic use). The hall has a large granite ashlar fireplace with chamfered surround; probably late 16th - early 17th century. Now a 19th century staircase rising alongside. The upper end crosswall is lined with 17th century small-field oak panelling above bench level. The hall was floored in the 17th century with soffit-chamfered and step-stopped crossbeams. The half beam at the upper end is set a short distance out from the crosswall there which might indicate an internal jetty. In the rear wall an oak door-frame with segmental head leads to an unusual granite stair. It begins rising towards the back of the wide but shallow turret then soon divides to rise each way up the wall giving separate access to hall and inner room chambers. The inner room parlour has a roughly-finished crossbeam and the fireplace here is blocked by a 20th century grate. The first floor, and therefore the roof structure, was not available for inspection at time of survey, but should be examined before any alterations in case 17th century joinery detail remains there. The roof itself may be late medieval, 16th or 17th century. Other details: LB UID: 94705.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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