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Summary

Yeo Old Farm House built in the 17th century with later alterations and abandoned when a new farmhouse was built in 1911

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1105410: YEO OLD FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/132
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 92838

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XVI to XIX - 1600 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Large irregular shaped building at Yeo Farm shown on 19th century map.

Copeland, G. W., 1942, Eleventh Report of the Plymouth and District Branch, 123 (Article in Serial). SDV145407.

A typical yeomans house, early 17th century. The date in the porch is 1610. At the rear there are three tin mortar stones.

Department of Environment, 1987, Sheepstor, 51 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV227819.

Yeo Old Farm consists of an unoccupied farmhouse now in use as shippon. Dated 1610. Part rendered stone rubble walls. Gable ended slate roof. One rubble stack at left gable end. Plan: L-shaped plan originally with 2 equal-size rooms to front range probably with central passage which led to a stair turret at the rear. To the right of the stair projection is 1-room plan wing, unheated on ground floor, probably service room. The 2 principal front rooms were both heated by gable end fireplaces and the 3 1st floor rooms were also all heated. The house is likely to have been abandoned in the later 19th or early 20th century and the rooms of the front range were knocked into one room for use as a shippon with store above. Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 3-window front with central gabled 2 storey porch and small gables over 1st floor windows. Windows all original chamfered granite mullion windows, 3-light to the 1st floor, 4-light to the ground floor. The porch has a 4-centred granite arched doorway with broad chamfer and square hoodmould, carved in its spandrels is the date 1610 and the initials 'I. W. T'..Four-centred arched granite inner doorway to porch. Above the outer doorway is a small granite framed recess, now empty, the purpose of which is unclear. Wing at rear of right-hand side is partially reduced in height and also retains its granite mullion windows. In the angle of its inner face is the stair turret which has a parallel roofline to the front range and a 2-light granite mullion window. Interior: although the internal partitions have been removed from the front range and the ceiling has been renewed the original fireplaces survive on each floor with chamfered granite jambs and lintel, one of the 1st floor fireplaces has a wooden lintel. The original staircase has been removed. One original roof truss survives with curved feet, morticed cranked collar and threaded purlins. This building is important for two reasons; small early 17th century gentry houses such as this of one build are unusual in Devon and this is a particularly early example of a completely symmetrical façade. Furthermore this façade is perfectly preserved and the main fabric of the house, despite the removal of some internal features, is intact and has no significant additions.

Child, P., 1989, Yeo Old Farmhouse (Report - non-specific). SDV347824.

Yeo Farm, Meavy visited in February 1989. The house has been converted to an outbuilding of a modern farm (ancient monuments).Photo of Yeo Old Farmhouse now in parish file. Other details: Photograph.

Cox, J. + Thorp, J. R. L., 1993, Yeo Farm, Sheepstor: A Tinner's House of 1610 (Report - Assessment). SDV347676.

Yeo Farm was built in the 17th century for John Woolcombe who had interests in the local tin industry. The house stayed in the family for 140 years and was enlarged and improved in the late 17th or early 18th century. It was eventually abandoned for domestic use in 1911. Yeo may be the area described in 13th century charters as 'Yllalonde'. The old house was built of local stone rubble with granite ashlar dressings under a slate roof. The compact U-plan on a west-north-west to east-south-east axis has a symmetrical front. The internal partitions have been removed but was originally of a two room plan with a central doorway behind a two storey porch. The stair turret projects to the rear indicating there was a central cross passage between the rooms. There are two one roomed rear wings with a buttery to the east and a kitchen to the west. The first floor of the main block has three chambers with another over the buttery. A chamber over the kitchen has been removed. There is a well at the rear between the ends of the two wings. A series of changes took place in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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

Irregular shaped building shown on modern mapping to the later farmhouse at Yeo Farm.

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

Yeo Old Farmhouse was Listed on 28th October 1987. An unoccupied farmhouse now in use as shippon. Dated 1610. Part rendered stone rubble walls. Gable ended slate roof. One rubble stack at left gable end.
Plan: L-shaped plan originally with two equal-size rooms to front range probably with central passage which led to a stair turret at the rear. To the right of the stair projection is one-room plan wing, unheated on ground floor, probably service room. The two principal front rooms were both heated by gable end fireplaces and the three 1st floor rooms were also all heated. The house is likely to have been abandoned in the later 19th or early 20th century and the rooms of the front range were knocked into one room for use as a shippon with store above.
Exteior: Two storeys. Symmetrical 3-window front with central gabled two storey porch and small gables over 1st floor windows. Windows all original chamfered granite mullion windows, 3-light to the 1st floor, 4-light to the ground floor. The porch has a 4-centred granite arched doorway with broad chamfer and square hoodmould, carved in its spandrels is the date 1610 and the initials 'I.W.T.' 4-centred arched granite inner doorway to porch. Above the outer doorway is a small granite framed recess, now empty, the purpose of which is unclear. Wing at rear of right-hand side is partially reduced in height and also retains its granite mullion windows. In the angle of its inner face is the stair turret which has a parallel roofline to the front range and a 2-light granite mullion window. Interior: Although the internal partitions have been removed from the front range and the ceiling has been renewed the original fireplaces survive on each floor with chamfered granite jambs and lintel, one of the 1st floor fireplaces has a wooden lintel. The original staircase has been removed. One original roof truss survives with curved feet , morticed cranked collar and threaded purlins. This building is important for two reasons; small early 17th century gentry houses such as this of one build are unusual in Devon and this is a particularly early example of a completely symmetrical facade. Furthermore this facade is perfectly preserved and the main fabric of the house, despite the removal of some internal features, is intact and has no significant additions. Other details: LBS Number 92838.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5288 - Yeo Old Farmhouse Survey

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