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Summary

Lower Allerton Farmhouse was built in the early 16th century with later additions and alterations

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1108344: LOWER ALLERTON FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX76SE/45
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 101011

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (XV to XIX - 1500 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Lower Allerton' farmhouse shown on 19th century map as a large irregular U-shaped building on the north side of an irregular shaped yard.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One (Monograph). SDV1312.

Allerton is documented in 1330 and in the 16th century.

Department of Environment, 1956, Totnes Rural District, 12 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV177635.

A farmhouse of L-shaped plan and probably of 17th century origin. Much modernised. Rubble with slate roofs and brick and stone stacks. Two storeys. Modern casements, the upper in front gabled. Two storeyed porch with flat segmental outer doorway and the inner square framed and moulded. Old nail studded door.

Exeter Industrial Archaeology Group, 1972, Dartington Houses: a survey, 1 (Report - Survey). SDV163528.

Lower Allerton is sited on almost level ground in the valley bottom. Composed of rubble masonry, re-roofed in slate. Three rooms and cross passage plan with a later two storey porch. At the rear of the house there is a central stair projection, a kitchen and dairy to the west and a lean-to to the east, all later additions. The porch has two small windows, both blocked, the east retains its original oak frame with a small central mullion set diagonally. The front door and ovolo moulded, true mitred frame are 17th century. The door is vertical-planked with bolts. The over-lintel is chamfered and scroll stopped. The rear door frame is much older, of Durn type. The screen between hall and passage is of stud and panel but very plain and unchamfered. Roof not accessible. The original house appears to have been developed about 1500, with no upper floor. Its partitions were no more than head height and in the first improvements an upper room was built above the inner room and projecting over the screen into the hall as far as the first ceiling beam.

Alcock, N. W. + Laithwaite, M., 1973, Medieval houses in Devon and Their Modernisation, 111-2 (Article in Serial). SDV25027.

Lower Allerton. Originally this had an open hall, a jettied room being added subsequently over the inner room. The hall was later ceiled.

Alcock, N. W., 1981, Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue, 113 (Report - non-specific). SDV342504.

Short curved feet cruck recorded.

English Heritage, 2010, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV154869.

Lower Allerton Farmhouse was Listed on 8th July 1986. It was probably built in the early 16th century, partly floored later in 16th century, entirely floored and remodelled in the 17th century when the stair tower, porch and rear wing were added. Rear outshut added in 19th century. Local limestone rubble; the lower side of the rear wing is cob. Steeply pitched slate roof with gabled ends, and catslide over rear lean-to. Two early crested ridge tiles on rear wing. Stone rubble stacks;i the left gable and stack has brick shaft. Plan: three room and through passage plan, lower end to right. Originally probably open to the roof from end to end and divided by low screens. Later in the 16th century a floor was inserted over the narrow inner room creating a chamber which jettied into the open hall. The rest of the house was probably floored in the 17th century when the lateral stacks were built at the rear of the hall and lower room, and the two gable end stacks were probably added to serve the chambers over the inner room and lower end. This remodelling probably included the building of the porch at the front of the passage door and an unheated wing at the rear of the higher end with a stair tower in the angle behind the hall. In the l9th century an outshut was added to the back of the lower end and passage. Exterior: two storeys. Regular but not symmetrical four window range. First floor 19th century three-light casements with horizontal glazing bars in half dormers with slate hung gables. Ground floor has similar casements; inner room to left of two lights; hall to left of centre has four lights; and lower end to right and 20th century French window. Two storey gabled porch to right of centre with segmented stone arch doorway and 19th century two-light first floor window; blocked window on side of porch has old chamfered frame with diagonally set mullion; the inner front door to the passage has an ovolo moulded and scroll stopped wooden doorframe and moulded plank door with wrought iron hinges, and a chamfered lintel with long scroll stops. The higher gable end to left has projecting stack with set offs. The internal lower end stack has recessed cap. The two projecting rear lateral stacks have set-off and slate weatherings. The lower end stack is enclosed within the 19th century rear outshut which also surrounds the stair tower, the rendered gable half dormer on lower and higher sides. Interior: plank and muntin screen between the hall and the narrow inner room with chamfered muntins either high run-out stops and wide doorway with shouldered head and diagonal stops, now blocked but retaining the old studded door; a later doorway inserted to side. Plank and muntin screen between hall and passage, chamfered on passage side only and with later doorways inserted. Wooden boarded partition between passage and lower room which may conceal an earlier screen but now has a 18th century fielded two-panel door. Two light scantling chamfered cross beams in hall without stops. At higher end of hall the jetty beam, chamfered on hall side only carries a partition above. The blocked hall fireplace has a 19th century wooden chimneypiece. The inner room fireplace is blocked. Lower end room has 20th century fireplace on rear wall and cupboard with fielded panels in gable end wall. The rear doorway to the passage has the original round-headed chamfered door-frame. The stair tower behind the hall has a late 19th century dog-leg staircase with stick balusters. First floor has two old plank doors with wrought iron hinges and fielded four-panel door land fielded panel cupboard in lower room. Roof: The roof space is inaccessible but the principal rafters appear to be straight and resting on the wall plate, and the wide purlins are visible. The roof over the porch and the rear wing appear similar. Other details: LBS Number 101011.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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