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Summary

Farmhouse, circa 16th or early 17th century, with later wings at rear. Sundial in gable of porch dated 1671.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1325041: EAST LEIGH FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX75NE/31/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 101310

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XVI to XVII - 1501 AD to 1700 AD)

Full description

Department of Environment, 1961, Harberton, 20 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV348052.

Eastleigh farmhouse. Rubble house rendered in roughcast with slate roofs. Two projecting wings at rear. Two storeys. Casements. Four window front. Two-storey porch of local type with round headed doorway. On gable of porch is date '1671'. Inner doorway has moulded wood frame and contemporary door with strap hinges and old knocker; 17th century.

Department of National Heritage, 1993, Harberton, 349 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV338990.

Farmhouse. Circa 16th or early 17th century with later wings at rear. Rendered stone rubble. First floor of front slate hung. Slate roof with gabled ends. Rendered chimney stacks at gable ends and rear lateral hall stack with slate weathering.
Plan: three room and through passage plan, the lower end to the right, rear lateral hall stack and gable end stacks serving inner room and kitchen at lower end. Two storey porch to front of passage. Short wing at rear of higher end and two further adjoining wings in the angle behind the hall and passage with an outshut on the lower side in the angle. Nineteenth century stairs inserted into back of passage. Exterior: two storeys. four to five window range with two storey gabled porch to right of centre with chamfered rounded arch of slate voussoirs and with slate sundial in gable above dated 1671 and with initial W. Inner doorway has good heavy ovolo and a hollow moulded doorframe with vase stops, nail-studded plank door with covermoulds and wrought iron hinges and timber lintel with ogee stops. Twentieth century two and three-light casement windows with glazing bars; first floor windows are half dormers with raking roofs. At rear three adjoining gabled wings to right, the centre with three-ligh timber window with square-section mullions and iron stanchions. Later outshut in left hand engle. Late 20th century glazed conservatory on lower left end.
Interior: Plank and muntin screens on either side of passage with scratch mouldings to muntin, the screen doorway widened. Nineteenth century dog-leg staircase inserted into back of passage with stick balusters and passage back doorway blocked. Blocked hall fireplace. Lower room, former kitchen has fireplace at lower end with massive unchamfered lintel and oven and 2 cross-beams with rough chamfers. Wing at rear of higher end has chamfered beams with bar stops and wing behind passage has chamfered fireplace lintel. Stud partition on first floor to chamber over porch and doorway with stopped chamfer jambs. Doorway in partition at lower end of chamber over hall has ovolo moulded jambs with ogee stops, the doorhead removed. Some of the original roof tursses survive. They have straight principals with threaded purlins and notched lap joints for the now missing collars. Some of the purlins and the diagonal ridgepiece is also missing and all the rafters have been replaced. Original truss over porch.

Allan, J. + Collings, A.G., 2011, East Leigh Farmhouse, Harberton (Report - Survey). SDV348055.

Substantial two storey farmhouse dating to the early 17th century and which had undergone little alteration since the early 18th century. Built of local slate rubble stone with slate quoins with the voussoirs and jambs of the porch in local volcanic ash stone. The slate roof is modern.
The plan of the house appears to be a 17th century adaptation of the standard three room and cross passage plan. The rather grand porch with its 17th century inner doorway leads to a well-preserved screens passage with intact 17th century plank and muntin screens on either side. On the lower side of the passage was the kitchen with a large fireplace and domed bread oven. An interesting feature is the apotropaic mark on the lintel, a circle with scribed arcs within, traditionally to ward off witches.
At the centre of the ground floor is the original hall; the stone lintel of the fireplace is considered to be a primary feature. Adjoining the hall is the 'inner room' which was probably a parlour.
At the upper and lower ends of the house are projecting wings which appear to be contemporary with the main block of the house. Between them is a central gabled block which retains a timber window with square-section mullions and iron stanchions on the ground floor which is dateable to th late 17th or early 18th century.
Above the porch is a small room, which research has shown was commonly used as a study in the 17th century. The chamber over the kitchen retains a good 17th century fireplace in the large stack which served the kitchen. The stairs to the upper floor are thought to have always stood where they do now, at the end of the screens passage, rather than rising from the rear wall of the hall, next to the fireplace.
The earliest part of the roof is that over the lower end of the house. The dovetailed lap-joints in the A frame trusses suggesting that it is 17th century.
The house retains many features dating to the early-mid 17th century and the conclusion is that this was a new farmhouse built circa 1600-1640.
See report for full details.

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

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5485 - Historic Building Survey of East Leigh Farmhouse, Harberton

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