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Summary

Higher Luscombe Cottage or Arnolds. Former longhouse. Early to mid 16th century, remodelled and extended circa early 17th century. Three room and cross passage plan. Hall originally open to roof.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1325047: HIGHER LUSCOMBE COTTAGE
• SHINE: Post medieval farm buildings, remains of Mansion and orchards at Luscombe Farm, Harberton.

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX75NE/5
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX75NE5

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LONGHOUSE (Built, XVI to XVII - 1501 AD (Between) to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, SX75NE5 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV338988.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 403 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Jones, S. R., 1971, Devonshire Farmhouses. Part III. Moorland and Non-Moorland Long-Houses, 71-72 (Article in Serial). SDV338987.

Arnolds, Luscombe. Former long-house retaining many features common to moorland examples. Much altered post 1600. Plan comprises inner room, hall and shippen. An axial chimney stack backing to to the cross passage heats the hall. Cross passage has single storey lean-to porch. Also low lean-to additions against back wall. Projecting stair turret. Walling above moulded string course on front elevation is set forward. Other details: Plate XIII.

Department of National Heritage, 1993, Harberton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV338990.

Higher Luscombe Cottage. Cottage, formerly a farmhouse. Circa early to mid C16, remodelled and extended in circa early C17. Lower left end demolished at unknown date, rear outshut of circa late C18 or C19. Local stone rubble right of front wall is coursed and dressed slate. Asbestos slate roof with gabled ends, roof at left hand end is at lower level. Late C19 or C20 red brick shaft to axial stack to left of centre.
Plan: Originally a 3 room and through passage plan; the lower left end except for the passage, has been demolished at some stage. The remains of a roof truss at the lower end of the hall and other reused principal rafters appear to be smoke-blackened indicating that the hall at least was probably originally open to the roof and heated by an open-hearth fire. In circa early C17 the house was remodelled, the higher end was extended forwards and a porch added in front of the passage in the angle to the left, the hall was floored, an axial stack was inserted at the lower end of the hall backing onto the passage and a stair turret was built on the back of the hall. The inner room seems to have remained unheated and may have served as a dairy if the lower end had already been demolished. In circa late C18 or
C19 an outshut was added to the back of the hall. A barn (Barn adjoining east of Higher Luscombe Cott (qv)) was built at right angles in front of the higher end of the house probably in the C18.
Exterior: 2 storeys. 2 window range. The right hand section is the projecting hall with a dressed stone front with a moulded plinth and the
floor is slightly corbelled out on similar mouldings which return to the left; both mouldings are repeated on the front of the left hand flank wall
of the open-fronted porch at the front of the passage doorway which is set back to the left. The passage doorway has a C19 plank door and a late C19 2-light casement above. The ground floor hall window to the right has a chamfered timber lintel to the original wide opening and 2 late C19 or early C20 2-light casements with horizontal glazing bars. The late C19 or early C20 2-light casement above has horizontal glazing bars and a timber lintel. To the right of the front a barn adjoins at right angles. The lower gable end wall to the left is stone rubble on the ground floor and rebuilt in tendered concrete blocks above. At the back the main roof is swept down over the outshut enclosing the stair turret to the left of centre. To the left a late C19 3-light casement on the ground and first floors. To the right of the outshut the passage rear doorway has a C20 door and canopy.
Interior: The hall has chamfered ceiling beams with straight cut stops and one with bar stops; axial stack at lower end of the hall has a blocked fireplace. A partition has been inserted into the hall to create a passage across the back to provide access from the through passage to the inner room. The inner room also has later partitions and a ceiling beam with step stops. The stair turret at the back of the hall has wooden winder stairs.
Roof: One blade and collar of an original truss survives at the lower end of the hall; the principal has mortices for threaded purlins and a
tenon at the apex and the collar appears to have a mortice and tenon joint; it seems to be smoke-blackened and the hall stack is inserted
underneath. There are other reused smoke-blackened principal rafters over the hall with mortices for the purlins. The roof over the passage has been replaced recently, in the C20. Other details: LBS 101342.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

Higher Luscombe Cottage marked.

Everett, A. W., c1960, Untitled Source (Record Office Collection). SDV338989.

Plan of Arnold's, c1960, is among A.W. Everett's drawings in the Devon Record Office.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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