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Summary

Two cottages, formerly farmhouse. Probably early 16th century, modified and then extended in the later 16th / early 17th century, then converted at a much later stage, probably 19th century into two cottages. Originally three room and through or cross passage. Evidence of internal jetty.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1334180: EASDON FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78SW65
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 898330
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/54
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SW/54/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 84943

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CROSS PASSAGE HOUSE (Built, XV to XVI - 1500 AD to 1550 AD (Between))
• FARMHOUSE (Built, XV to XVI - 1500 AD to 1550 AD (Between))
• ASH HOUSE (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1901 AD (Between))
• COTTAGE NON SPECIFIC (Altered, XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

Pengelly, W., 1880, Recent Discoveries in the Parishes of Chagford and Manaton, Devonshire, 375-378 (Article in Serial). SDV356960.

Easdon, Manaton. Workmen taking off the roof of an old farmhouse found a leather bag between the ceiling and the thatch in which were 14 silver coins in a piece of canvas. All shillings: four of Elizabeth, three of James I, and seven of charles I (one is a half-crown) (R. H. Worth, 1880).

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 723 (Monograph). SDV249702.

The fine ash-house at Easdon Farm is in decay.

Department of Environment, 1987, Manaton, 7-8 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV303187.

Easdon Farmhouse. Two cottages, formerly farmhouse. Probably early 16th century, modified and then extended in the later 16th / early 17th century, then converted at a much later stage, probably 19th century into two cottages. Rendered granite rubble, walls, three granite rubble chimneys with drip-courses, axial one is rendered, gable end chimney to wing has granite capping stones. Slate roof with gable ends.
Complex development. Slightly obscured by conversion of house into two cottages. Originally three room and through or cross passage. Evidence of internal jetty. Original roof structure does not survive. Two storeys. Asymmetrical three window front, four windows on ground floor. All two-light 20th century casements with glazing bars except for ground floor right window to inner room which is single light, 19th century.
Interior of left-hand cottage much altered and no original features evident. In right hand cottage, hall and inner room preserve many of their early features. Plank and muntin screen to upper end of hall. See List for full details.

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 78 SW 4/8 Easdon Farmhouse - GV II*
2 cottages, formerly farmhouse. Probably early C16, modified and then extended later C16/early C17, then converted at a much later stage, probably C19 into 2 cottages. Rendered granite rubble walls, 3 granite rubble chimneys with drip- courses, axial one is rendered, gable end chimney to wing has granite capping stones. Slate roof with gable ends.
Complex development of plan, slightly obscured by conversion of house into 2 cottages. Originally 3-room and through or cross-passage. Evidence of internal jetty at higher end of hall suggests that hall at least was originally open to the roof. The original roof structure does not survive which makes it difficult to assess whether the jetty is an original feature or whether it was inserted and the house initially only had low partitions.
The inner room has remained unheated and its very rough beams and small window opening suggest that it was used for storage. The hall fireplace lintel and ceiling beam have different stops but probably both date from late C16/early C17. At the same time that the hall was ceiled a newel staircase was inserted into its rear wall but it has since been removed/blocked. Probably in the early C17, at a slightly later date to the ceiling-in of the hall, a rear single cell wing was added behind the inner room and the upper end of the hall. Few features are visible in it, although a large fireplace probably exists, so its purpose is unclear. Probably when the land was appropriated by another farm the house was converted into 2 cottages : the left-hand one comprised the heated lower room and the through passage which was widened to form a larger room and the rear door blocked if it originally had one. In the right-hand cottage the plan of hall, inner room and wing is preserved intact.
2 storeys. Asymmetrical 3-window front, 4 windows on ground floor. All 2-light C20 casements with glazing bars except for ground floor right window to inner room which is single light, C19. Centre left ground floor window probably occupies position of original passage doorway. Right first floor window above inner room is half dormer. To right of centre is early C20 gabled porch rendered with weatherboarding in gable and C20 plank door. Similar door to left of centre. C20 casement windows to inner face of wing and C20 plank door on either face of wing. On rear face of main block in the angle with the wing is a bulge in the wallmarking the position of the newel staircase. Rear of main range has C20 glazed doorway to left of centre and C20 casement windows.
Interior of left-hand cottage much altered and no original features evident. In right-hand cottage, hall and inner room preserve many of their early features. The axial fireplace would originally have backed onto the through passage. It has a straight wooden lintel, is chamfered with straight cut stops and unchamfered granite jambs. There is an oven on the right hand side with arched opening, brick floor and stone walls and roof. Its iron door and frame are still in situ. The hall floor is of granite slabs. There is a heavy cross beam with deep chamfer and hollow step stops. At upper end of hall is a plank and muntin screen, the muntins are chamfered with diagonal cut stops which cone fairly high up to take a bench underneath. Although the original bench or brackets do not survive there is a horizontal groove on each muntin marking the position of the bench. The original doorway is at the left-hand end of the screen and its 3-centred arch and jambs are chamfered with diagonal cut stops. Above the screen is an internal jetty with joists projecting circa 12 inches into the hall which are curved at the ends with chamfers and stops. The inner room is unheated and has rough axial beams less substantial than in the hall. The screen has only a rough finish on this side. A thick wall between the hall and the wing signify that it was a later addition.
Roof renewed in C20, trusses bolted together. This house is important not only for the high quality of its features, particularly the screen and internal jetty, but also for their state of preservation and value in indicating the intermediate phases of modernisation in the development of the late medieval house.
Listing NGR: SX7276881851

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6247 - BAG (XVI to XVII - 1550 AD to 1650 AD)
• FDV3345 - COIN (XVI to XVII - 1558 AD to 1650 AD)

Associated Events: none recorded

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