| Summary: | Middle Clyst William farmhouse. Mid/late 15C with major 16C and 17C improvements, 19C extension. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; stone rubble stacks, one built within an earlier timber-framed smoke bay, topped with 19C and 20C brick; thatch roof. It consists of a five room and through passage plan house facing southwest. The 19C extension was originally built as a cider cellar but has now been brought into domestic use. The house has a long and complex structural history. The original hall house was not much smaller than the present one (excluding the 19C extension). There was a chamber over the inner room from the beginning. The rest of the house was open to the roof, divided by low partition screens and was heated by and open hearth fire. At an early stage it seems that the top at least of the left end truss was filled to create some kind of smoke bay at this end. This may be related to the flooring over the rest of the lower end before building a full height crosswall on the lower side of the passage. The hall open hearth fire was still in operation at this time. In the mid/late 16C the hall stack was inserted. During the 16C the kitchen end smoke bay was replaced by a timber-framed stack. 7-window front of mostly 19C and 20C casements with glazing bars. 17C oak window with moulded mullion to inner room parlour. Interior: very good. Both sides of the passage are lined with close-studded crosswalls, possibly mid 16C or thereabouts in date. Late medieval roof is largely intact. Roof structural features. Evidence of smoke blackening. A well-preserved multi-phase Devon farmhouse, notable for its fine late medieval roof. See DoE list for full details. |
|---|