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Summary

Substantial house, 15th century, enlarged and remodelled in 1681. Formerly a three-room and through-passage plan, enlarged, with the addition of a rear wing and a two storeyed central front porch.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1168358: COMFORT HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST00SW/62
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 95220

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XV to XVII - 1401 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

NMR, CITING DOE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV53299.

Comfort house, 52 fore street. Situated 15c house remodelled and enlarged in 1681 for isaak watts, wool merchant. Formerly 3-room-and-through-passage plan. Grade ii* (nmr, citing doe).

AMD, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV53300.

Nmr give erroneous ngr st00040180 (amd).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV53301.

Nmr=st00sw10.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV53302.

Doe/hhr:bradninch/().

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV53303.

Cherry, b. + pevsner, n. /buildings of england: devon/(1989)200.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV53304.

Des=collings, a. G. + dyer, m. J.(ea)/archaeological assessment & recording at culver close, bradninch/(2000)1/ea report 00.12.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

Substantial house. C15, enlarged and remodelled, 1681, for Isack Watts, wool merchant, and his wife Mary. Cob, stone plinth, plastered, under wheat reed thatched roof, hipped to right-hand end (and adjoining no. 50, Fore Street q.v., to left-hand side). Formerly a 3-room, through-passage plan, the higher end (with medieval smoke-blackened roof) to the right of the passage; the lower-end was formerly a single unit but enlarged, with the addition of a rear wing in 1681, along with the addition of a 2 storeyed central front porch and complete refenestration. Right-hand end stack heats parlour; exterior rear lateral stack heats hall; a further stack stands forward of the junction of the rear wing and main range roof ridges. All have brick shafts and some of the brickwork looks C17. 2 storeys throughout. Front: symmetrical, and to all appearances the work of 1681 (date and initials IW, MW on porch). 4-window range with central porch. Porch, with gabled-end thatched roof, bargeboarded, pendant in centre, and boarded gable (all C19); one 2-light casement window above; open below with original chamfered bressumer resting on C20 circular posts. All the windows of the main range have 2 horizontal sliding 9-pane sashes; those on the first floor are original and retain their crown glass; those on the ground floor are careful C20 replicas. Heavy surrounds to all. Rear: One single and one 3-light C20 casement windows with glazing bars above, C20 lean-to extensions below. Long lower-end wing; 3 casement windows to upper floor : one of 2 lights with 8 leaded panes to one light, 4 to the other; one of 4 lights, 15 panes per light, the outer lights fixed; another of 2 lights, 3 panes per light. Ground-floor with 2 doors and one 2-light window; one 2, and two 3-light windows to end of wing, and remains of former end stack. Interior: Hall with intersecting beams forming a grid of 4 squares, the beams with combined cyma recta and concave moulding (damaged) and run-out stops; C18 semi- circular headed ribbed recess with moulded surround; panelled internal shutters; 2 early-C18 wide fielded panel doors, one opening onto staircase with C18 (or possibly earlier) treads and risers. Small chamfered cross beam to parlour. Room to left of passage with 1 axial beam with cyma reversa moulding and run-out stops with bar. C18 scratch moulded window-recess surround, and panelled door from passage. Roof: 6 bays; 3-bay medieval Hall with passage) and 1-bay parlour all with evidence of smoke-blackening; 1 medieval truss has been replaced in the C17, principals crossed and morticed at apex. Truss above passage (possibly an upper cruck), lightly sooted to lower end, more heavily to upper, formerly closed, principals with cranked collar, arched braces, yoke, side pegged and morticed, with small V- notch for ridge piece; neighbouring truss of identical construction but with arched brace missing, and never closed. Truss between hall and parlour, formerly closed, with cranked collar, the blades simply crossed, morticed and side-pegged. Rafters and much battening sooted over hall; ridge-piece lightly sooted over parlour. 1 C17 lower-end truss, principals crossed, halved and pegged at apex.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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