| Summary: | The southern courtyard of Monkerton farmstead to the southwest of Monkerton Farmhouse. The two adjoining cob buildings on the west side of the southern courtyard are listed Grade II, and may be contemporary with the house. The south range is aligned E/W, and the W range (aligned N/S) abuts its N side at the W end. The 2 structures are separated at the W end by an inserted E/W cob wall surmounted by a timber gable. Both buildings are thatched (the thatch is in poor condition) under corrugated iron roofs. There is an open-sided timber lean-to against the n wall of the S range. The S range has a large opening in the E end, and a small door in a rebuilt (brick) section of the S wall at the W end. There are 2 square unglazed windows in the S wall, the westernmost of which appears to have originally been a door, as the lower part is blocking. The windows have vertical and horizontal wooden slats. There is a glazed window in the w wall. At the E end of the N wall, there is an area of blocking to the E of a vertical joint in the cob, which has deeper stone footings than the rest of the wall. The blocking presumably pre-dates, or is of the same phase as the rebuilding, or heightening layer of cob at the top of the wall, as the joint does not extend through this layer. Towards the W end of the north wall there is a section of brick at the point where the wall joins the returning e wall of the w range. The junction of the 2 ranges is blocked by an inserted cob wall on stone footings. The SW corner of the building, has been rebuilt with brick. The doorway in the S part is reached via 2 brick steps, as the ground level is higher to the S of the building. The wall around the E door opening has been partly rebuilt with brick and stone. The roof comprises 6 bays including the W gable. There are 5 tie- beam trusses with collars. The principal rafters are halved at the apex. Three of the collars are halved onto the principal rafters, and two have been applied with nails. There are 2 sets of purlins, and a slender ridge tree sits in the 'X' apex of each truss. A section of the gable end of the roof has partly collapsed and is in danger of falling. The W range has 2 doors towards the centre of the east wall, and one large opposing opening in the w wall. There are 2 windows to the N of the W door; the N window has an arch-topped brick surround. The N wall has an air vent opening, and a loft door, which have similar brick surrounds, as does a window at the N end of the e wall. These openings have been inserted, and are probably of the same phase of re-development as the 19C building complex of the N courtyard. The roof of the W range has 6 bays, and has a loft across the 4 most northern bays. The second and third trusses from the S are jointed crucks of 16C or 17C date, however, they appear to have been re-used from an earlier context, as the feet have been cut off, and the trusses rise from the tops of the walls, with no evidence of chases in the walls to take the original truss posts. The remaining trusses are of 'A' frame construction, the principal rafters are on timber pads, and have halved collars, some of which are pegged, and some nailed. The 1st edition OS 25 inch map (1889), shows a building with a rounded W end abutting the W wall of the W range. This structure may have been a horse and engine house. There are 2 features in the W range which may relate to this earlier building. There is a section of wall immediately N of the W door opening which is constructed of stone, rather than cob, and within the W side of the roof, towards the N end, there is what appears to be a timber gable in the thatch. The north range: on the N side of the courtyard there is a range of single storey buildings (the W end of which abuts the W cob range) which have been used for housing animals. In the main central building, the S wall, presumably originally brick, has been rebuilt with concrete-block on a brick base. The building is a lean-to structure, its N side being the S wall of the 2 storey 19C building to the N. There is a broad door opening in the upper part of the N wall, and a blocked doorway at the S end of the W wall. The building has roof supports of similar construction to those of the 19C complex around the N courtyard. The single storey E range of buildings appear to be completely modern. However, the 1st edition OS map (1889) shows that there were previously buildings on the site of very similar plan, except that they extended further S to the track. On the floor of the E building, there is at least a 10m length of cobbled surface visible, which probably relates to the earlier building. The walls of the E building are constructed of concrete-block. The building abutting its W side has a brick S wall, and the other walls are constructed of concrete-block, wooden boards, and corrugated iron. Both structures have corrugated iron roofs. There were 2 buildings immediately to the W of the house, which have been demolished and were not seen. The larger of the buildings spanned the gap between the W range of the house and the S outbuilding in the N courtyard, and the outline can be seen on the walls of these buildings. The smaller building was located just to the S. Neither of the structures appear on the 1st edition OS map of 1889 and were presumably built after that date. In addition to existing buildings, early maps show an adjoining building on W side of W range (possibly a horse & engine house) and possibly a building on E side. There are likely to be remains of earlier buildings under the E range of the south courtyard, and to S of it, as suggested by first edition OS map and Tithe Map, and the surviving cobbled floor within the building. |
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