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Summary

Probably early 17th century farmhouse (replacing earlier house in farmyard), underwent considerable modernization in the mid-18th century, changing room use but leaving the basic plan intact. 18th / early 19th century outshuts added at rear. This farmhouse preserves an unspoilt traditional facade with the original ground floor plan relatively unchanged; in the 18th century modernisation a fairly typical change of room use occured and much good quality joinery survives from this period.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1166114: GREAT HOUNDTOR FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX77NW58
• National Monuments Record: SX77NW81
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 445178
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 898190
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX77NW/61
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 84957
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX77NW58

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (Constructed, Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1539 AD (Between))
• FARMHOUSE (Built, XVI to XVII - 1600 AD (Between) to 1650 AD (Between))

Full description

Linehan, C. D., 1965, Deserted Sites on Dartmoor, Devon, 174 (Article in Serial). SDV217992.

Houndtor; earlier house; a longhouse now used as a barn, east of the modern house.
Classed as a well preserved site.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 124 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

SX 749795 A deserted Medieval site at Great Houndtor Farm includes a building now used as a barn, and enlosures still in use on the present farm.

Alcock, N. W., 1969, Devonshire Farmhouses. Part 2, 99, Part 11 (Article in Serial). SDV269384.

Great Houndtor Farm. Probably early-17th century. It has four ground floor rooms but the original plan is rather concealed by alterations.

Department of Environment, 1987, Manaton, 16-17 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV303187.

Great Houndtor farmhouse. Probably early 17th century (replacing earlier house in farmyard), underwent considerable modernization in the mid-18th century, changing room use but leaving the basic plan intact. 18th / early 19th century outshuts added at rear. Granite rubble walls with larger quoins. Three rubble chimneys, all have drip-courses and shallow granite capping stones. Thatched roof, gabled at either end.
Three-room and through passage plan with hall fireplace backing onto passage and original heated inner room and lower room. Considerably modernized in 18th century. Asymmetrical five window south-east front consisting of two- and three-light early 20th century casements with glazing bars in small openings with timber lintels. Through passage doorway.
The only rooms substantially unaltered by the 18th century modernization is the former inner room which retains a heavily beamed ceiling of two cross beams chamfered but unstopped and a large open fireplace with a wooden lintel chamfered with worn scroll stops.
The roof is of a standard 18th century type with straight principals and lapped with pegged collars. See List for further details.

Department of Environment, 1987, Manaton, 16-17 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV303187.

Great Houndtor Farmhouse. Probably early C17th (replacing earlier house in farmyard, see SX 77 NW 58). Considerably improved in the mid C18th, changing room use but leaving the basic plan intact. Three-room-and-through-passage plan. Grade II*.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 561, plan on pg 68 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Great Houndtor Farmhouse. Plan of the excavated longhouse. (See SX 77 NW 81 for the later farmhouse).

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

MANATON SX 77 NW 6/22 Great Houndtor Farmhouse. - 23.8.55 II* GV
Farmhouse. Probably early C17 (replacing earlier house in farmyard), underwent considerable modernisation in the mid C18, changing room use but leaving the basic plan intact. C18/early C19 outshuts added at rear. Granite rubble walls with larger quoins. 3 granite rubble chimneys, 2 projecting gable and 1 axial, all have drip-courses and shallow granite capping stones. Thatched roof, gabled at either end.
Three room and through passage plan with hall fireplace backing onto passage and original heated inner room and lower room. Considerably modernised in C18 when lower room turned into parlour and dairy probably added as outshut behind hall. General refurbishment of house at this time included much good quality woodwork in the form of doors, shutters, window seats, cupboards and a fireplace. The middle staircase possibly dates from this time but might be slightly earlier. A second dairy outshut added probably in early C19. Asymmetrical 5-window south-east front consisting of 2- and 3-light early C20 casements with glazing bars in small openings with timber lintels. Through passage doorway to right of centre in C19 granite rubble gabled porch with stone seats either side. Very wide C19 panelled door to passage. Doorway to left of centre into former inner room has C19/C20 plank stable door and wooden lintel. Attached to house at left-hand south-west corner is a very small single-storey open-fronted building of granite rubble possibly once a pump-house as it contains a stone trough which discharges into a drain running down from the house. The 2 stone outshuts to the rear are either side of the cross passage. A small window to the right directly under the eaves lights the garret staircase and in the adjoining gable end a window lights the end garret bedroom.
Interior: the only rooms substantially unaltered by the C18 modernisation is the former inner room which retains a heavily beamed ceiling of 2 cross beams chamfered but unstopped and a large open fireplace with a wooden lintel chamfered with worn scroll stops. The jamb to the left is monolithic granite, on the right it consists of several stones. A wooden newel staircase projects to the left of the fireplace and is probably not original but was inserted when as seems likely the room was relegated to kitchen status in the C18. The very large hall stack obviously conceals an early open fireplace. There are fielded panel shutters to the window and similar panelling to the window seat below. At the partition to the inner room, towards the rear wall a 2-fielded panel door with H-L hinges leads to a framed staircase which continues up to the garret. Another framed straight run staircase rises from the hall at the through passage side of the rear wall. The through passage has a cobbled floor with a distinctive design of 3 consecutive squares, the middle one containing a flower motif. The lower room has a small open fireplace with square cut wooden lintel. The C18 alterations here consisted of a cupboard next to the fireplace with a moulded architrave and dentilled cornice. It has a curved back and the shelves follow the same line, there are doors underneath and originally the top section also had doors. The shutters and window seat are as in the hall except the shutters are not fielded and there is a 6-fielded panel door. At the top of the straight run staircase are bannisters on the landing with very closely spaced elaborately turned balustrades and a newel of the same design with a small finial capping and flat handrail. The central bedroom over the hall has an C18 fireplace with reeded pilasters and dentilled cornice. There is also a fielded panel window seat. Several bedrooms have 2-fielded panel doors and good quality contemporary cupboards with H or H-L hinges.
The roof is of a standard C18 type with straight principals and lapped and pegged collars.
This farmhouse preserves an unspoilt traditional facade with the original ground floor plan relatively unchanged; in the C18 modernisation a fairly typical change of room use occured and much good quality joinery survives from this period.
Listing NGR: SX7492879565

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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