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Summary

Farmhouse, early 17th century, plastered cob on rubble footings and a thatched roof. A three-room-and- through-passage plan house facing south, with the inner room at the right (east) end.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1106987: GREAT HEALE FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX79NE11
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX79NE/49
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 96582

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 404 (Monograph). SDV1312.

Hele appears in 1249 assize rolls.

Department of Environment, 1986, Colebrooke, 43 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV344581.

Farmhouse. Early C17. Plastered cob on rubble footings; stone rubble or cob stacks topped with c20 brick; thatch roof. 3-room-and- through-passage plan house facing south with inner room at right (east) end. Hall was floored from beginning and has large axial stack backing onto passage. Inner room has rear lateral stack to ground floor and end stack to first floor. Stair block to rear of hall and 2-storey porch with garret to front door. 2 storeys. Regular 4-window front with a fifth on front of porch. Gabled porch towards left end has ovolo-moulded outer arch. The first floor window to service room chamber to left of porch and first floor porch window have original 2-light oak window frames with ovolo-moulded mullions. The rest are late C19 casements with glazing bars appear to occupy original embrasures. C20 sloping buttress right of centre supports hall-inner room crosswall and another similar supports right end corner. Roof is half-hipped to left and gable-ended to right. Rear gabled stairblock has original oak windows, a small ground window with chamfered surround and iron glazing bar and a first floor 2-light window with ovolo-moulded mullion, iron glazing bars and still containing early leaded glass. Very good interior of a remarkably complete single-period house. The internal crosswalls are cob. Both passage and service room have soffit-chamfered and scroll stopped crossbeams. The large hall/parlour is well-preserved and includes some high quality features. The 3-bay ceiling is carried on richly-moulded crossbeams with scroll stops which have chiselled floral motifs. The joists are exposed and their soffits are scratch-moulded. The fireplace is open with painted probably granite plain jambs but the lintel is obscured by a later board applied to the front. At the upper end the original bench remains, a plain thick oak plank. The back is made up of 2 bays of high quality oak wainscotting. Each bay comprises 4 panels separated by delicately moulded muntins with central hollow strips, the rails above and below have continuous moulding, an upper frieze of 3 broad panels carved with bas-relief Renaissance motifs including cornucopia and putti, and a moulded and dentil cornice over a chip-carved band. The front wall includes a cupboard with a panelled oak door. The inner room has a Cl9 chimney piece blocking the original fireplace and the axial bean is boxed in. The original broad oak newel stair has a cupboard on the landing with plank doors on strap hinges. Double doors at stair head under oak lintel which is soffit-chamfered with scroll stops. Most of first floor not available for inspection at time of survey and roof space is inaccessible. However plastered feet of trusses show suggesting original early C17 A-frame trusses of large scantling survive. Great Heale is a fine example of an early C17 house of rich yeoman or lesser gentry status. For Devon it is unusual being a single period house although the medieval layout may suggest an early C17 rebuild of an earlier house. It is most remarkable in that so little has been done to the house since its erection.

Gundry Dyer Greenway, 1989, Great Heale Farm South Elevations - as Exisisting/as Proposed (Plan - measured). SDV356657.

Timms, S. C., 1989, Great Heale Farmhouse (Personal Comment). SDV351683.

House badly damaged by fire.

Child, P., 1989, Note and Plans for Great Heale (Un-published). SDV351685.

site visit in December 1989. Great Heale was stripped out after fire in May 1989 and all plaster removed. The following features were revealed which the list entry does not include. The jambs of hall fireplace are trap not granite and lintel is ovolo moulded. No sign of any fireplace in service room (where was cooking done?). Chamfered door frame to second service room beyond first service room. First service room has plain thick close-set joists and half-beam on far wall with scroll stops. Fragment of painting remains in fireplace in inner room.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 277 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Child, P., 2000, Great Heale, Colebrooke: Proposed Annexe Conversion (Correspondence). SDV351682.

Great Heale is a particularly good complex of traditional buildings, and even though the house was severly damaged by fire some years ago, the whole group is well preserved.

National Monument Record, 2013, 902436 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV351684.

Child, P, Unknown, Great Heale (Un-published). SDV356647.

Stripped out after fire in May 1989. all plaster removed, revealing features not mentioned in List entry.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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