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Summary

The wing on the north east side of Pridhamsleigh Farmhouse was converted to a cider house in about 1860 which entailed rebuilding its northern end. The central spindle of a horse engine survives in situ.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1147332: PRIDHAMSLEIGH FARMHOUSE PRIDHAMSLEIGH MANOR

Other References/Statuses

• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CIDER HOUSE (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD to 1860 AD (Between))

Full description

Exeter Archaeology, 2004, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Alterations to Pridhamsleigh, Staverton, 3 (Report - Assessment). SDV321670.

The wing on the north east side of Pridhamsleigh Farmhouse originally formed the southern range of the manor house and still retains some 17th century features. Around 1860 this range was remodelled as a cider house which entailed rebuilding its northern end. The roof was removed and the walls reduced in height. A new roof was built in the same style as those of the shippons in the lower yard. A new ramp was provided from the yard serving large double doors in the north gable-end wall. A horse engine was installed in one half of the new room. Only its central spindle now survives in situ. The large circular granite trough is now in the garden of the Manor House and half of a vertical crushing stone now forms a doorstep. Apples would have been brought into the cider house at first floor level through a door in the south wall, then loaded onto an enclosed platform, raised above the floor, which stood directly over the cider press. Most of its box frame together with its sloping floor appears to have survived. Apples would then have been funnelled down a chute against the north wall, now gone, and passed between spiked rotary drums, now loose on the west wall, in preparation for crushing.

Arnold, A. + Howard, R., 2008, Pridhamsleigh Manor and Farm, Staverton, near Ashburton, Devon. Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers (Report - Scientific). SDV347847.

A programme of tree-ring dating was undertaken at Pridhamsleigh in order to inform a programme or repairs and establish if the timbers remaining were original. It was also hoped that the data obtained would contribute to the further development of local reference material for the late 16th-early 17th century.
The cider house projects northwards from the hall range. Its construction is of two main phases; a primary room forming the southern half of the range and a secondary remodelling as a cider house circa 1860. A new roof was provided in the same style as those of the shippons, dated 1860.
Samples for tree-ring dating were taken from timbers forming the roof of the former hall range, now the farmhouse, plus the roof and various ceiling beams and lintels from the manor house and also from the roof of the cider house. Analysis of 14 out of the 31 samples (17 were rejected as unsuitable) produced a single site chronology comprising three samples with an overall length of 138 rings which span the years 1420-1557. Two of the three dated samples came from rafters in the cider house one likely to have been felled in the early to mid 16th century, the other felled no earlier than the latter half of the 16th century suggesting that the cider house roof contains timbers from at least two different periods of felling.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

Historic England, 2016, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV359353.

Pridhamsleigh Manor Farm House. Farmhouse. C16 and C17. Rubble with scantle slate hung front above ground storey. The left hand of the front has decoratively cut slates forming patterns the right hand slates are larger. Slate roofs, gabled left and right. Two storeys attics and cellars. Four window range. C19 two and four-light casements with glazing bars, same with dripmoulds and moulded wooden lintels. Arched cellar doorway on north side with large chamfered wooden frame and plank door, flanked by blocked round-headed openings. Crosswing to south extends to south east and is now a separate house (Pridhamsleigh Farmhouse). Three window south elevation, first floor slate hung and one three-light moulded wooden first floor window with leaded panes. Truncated external chimney stack on north side of south wing. Outbuilding adjoining east forms third side of small yard, stone rubble with corrugated iron roof. Two storeys, ovolo-moulded mullion wooden windows and ovolo moulded wooden bressummer with carved stops over blocked window. Pigeon holes below eaves and in north gable end. Interior: Pridhamleigh Manor has:- Wooden ovolo moulded fire- place bressummer. Small ground floor room with bolection panelling cornice, niche with fluted pilasters and plaster shelf and marble chimneypiece. Another room has large granite fireplace with hollow chamfer. Staircase has remains of moulded balustrade. Stone vaulted cellars under north end.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV1567 - Archaeological Assessment of proposed alterations to Pridhamsleigh, Staverton
• EDV5309 - Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers at Pridhamsleigh, Staverton

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