See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Fancy Farm built in 17th century with later alterations was originally much larger and may have been called Pit Place Farm.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1166228: FANCY FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/119
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (Post Medieval to XX - 1540 AD to 1970 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880s, Ordnance Survey (Cartographic). SDV848.

'Fancy Farm' shown on OS 25" (1880s & 1906) maps as a group of buildings around an irregular shaped yard. Only the northern range is present on modern maps. Other details: Also on OS 25" (1906) map.

English Heritage, 1988, Dunkeswell (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV324134.

Fancy Farm house is early - mid 17C, enlarged and partly rearranged in the late 19C, modernised circa 1970. Local stone rubble with some late 19C brick dressings; stone rubble stacks topped with 20C brick; slate roof, originally thatch. Plan and development: 4-room-and-through-passage plan house facing south. The main rooms are those at the west end with the passage between them. The end room is the principal parlour and it has a gable-end stack.The room the other side of the passage has an axial stack backing onto a small unheated room and, at the east end is a stable (now a workshop). There are 2-storey service outshots across the rear and these include a kitchen with an axial stack. The original part of the house is the 2-room-and-through-passage section at the wes) end. A straignt join in the front wall between this section and the rest proves that the unheated room and stable were added in the 19C. The unheated room was built as a cellar/buttery but has now been converted to domestic use. However the original house must have been larger since the 2 rooms are well-appointed and there are no kitchen or service rooms. Presumably they were in some rear block which has been replaced by the rear outshots. House is 2 storeys throughout. Exterior: irregular 6-window front. The 3-window section to left (the original house) has early-mid 17C Beerstone windows with ovolo-moulded mullions and hoodmoulds to the ground floor windows. The passage front doorway contains a late 19C part-glazed 4-panel door. The right-hand 3-window section contains 20C casements most with glazing bars. The one over the stable doorway occupies the former hayloft loading hatch. The stable doorway and another into tne former cellar/buttery are 20C. The roof is gable-ended. Interior: the 2-rooms of early-mid 17C house have good quality original features. Both rooms have Beerstone ashlar fireplaces with oak lintels, their soffits shaped as low Tudor arches. The left room fireplace has a chamfered surround and the one in the room right of the passage has a moulded surround. Both rooms have chamfered crossbeams but only those in the left room have scroll stops. There is a small original fireplace in the chamber over the left room. The rear wall of the original house contains an original 2-light Beerstone window containing rectangular panes of ancient leaded glass. (It is now internal). The roof structure over the original section still contains tne original A-frame trusses with pegged dovetail-shaped lap-jointed collars. The apexes have been cut off. The rest of the house has 19C joinery and other detail and the hayloft floor was rebuilt c1970.

Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit, 1994, Blackdown Hills ironworking survey (Report - Survey). SDV126734.

Fancy Farm or a building in a similar position is called "Pit Place Farm" and a road continues from t. (emafu). Other details: Archive.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV3030 - Blackdown Hills Ironworking Survey

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