Description

SY 19 NE FARWAY BALL LANE, Farway
Mill House
3/73
-
7.12.62
GV II

Farmhouse. Late C15 - early C16 with some later C16 improvements and a major early
C17 rearrangement and partial rebuild, C19 coach house wing, and the whole house was
renovated circa 1976. Exposed local stone and flint rubble; stone rubble stacks
topped with C19 and C20 brick; red tile roof, formerly thatch.
Plan and development: L-plan building. The main block faces north-west and it has
a 4-room-and-through-passage plan. To left (north-east) of the passage there are 2
rooms. Part of the ground floor partition between the two has been removed. The
smaller end room is unheated but the first room has an axial stack backing onto the
passage. To right (south-west) of the passage is a former kitchen and then a
parlour. This kitchen has an axial stack backing onto the parlour which itself has
a gable-end stack. The C19 coach house block (now converted to garages) projects
forward at right angles in front of the left end service room of the main block.
The main block is largely the result of a massive early C17 refurbishment. However
there is some evidence of the earlier house. It seems that the house was turned
round in the early C17, that is to say that the principal rooms were moved from the
left to the right end of the house. The service end was originally open to the roof
and heated by an open hearth fire. The 2 rooms here were probably the hall and
inner room. A full height partition was built between these rooms whilst the open
hearth fire was still in use. The former 'hall' fireplace and ceiling may have been
inserted before the early C17. In the early C17 the former lower end completely
rebuilt and upgraded to provide a new kitchen and parlour. The coach house was
added in the C19 and circa 1976 the haylofts over were brought into domestic use.
The house is 2 storeys throughout.
Exterior: irregular 4-window front of mostly circa 1976 replacement casements
containing leaded glass although there are 2 earlier oak-framed windows at first
floor level, one early C17 2-light window with a chamfered mullion and another C18
3-light window with flat-faced mullions. Other windows around the house are similar
circa 1976 replacement casements. 'The passage front doorway is left of centre and
contains a C20 door and the garage doors under a continuous hood are also C20. The
main roof is gable-ended to right and hipped to left. The coach house roof is half-
hipped.
Interior: the stone rubble partition along the left side of the passage contains an
early C17 oak Tudor arch doorway to the heated service room. The fireplace here is
plain and of indeterminate date. The crossbeam is late C16 - early C17 and has
broad chamfers. The mid C16 full height crosswall between the 2 service rooms is
oak large framing. The right side of the passage is an early C17 full height
crosswall; an oak plank-and-muntin screen in the passage with oak close-studded
framing above. Both kitchen and parlour contain a Beerstone ashlar fireplace with
chamfered oak lintel although the former is larger and includes an oven. The
crossbeams over both these rooms are chamfered with lambstongue stops. One original
roof truss survives; the one later closed by the partition between the service
rooms. Its lower principals are plastered over but it is probably some type of
jointed cruck. At the apex is a small yoke provides a seating for a square set
ridge (Alcock's apex type H). It is smoke-blackened from the open hearth fire, so
too is the inside face of the framed infil. The rest of the main block roof is
carried on early Cl7 clean side-pegged jointed cruck trusses. The coach house block
wing was rebuilt circa 1976 using some old timbers.
Mill House is one of a group of attractive listed buildings which make up the hamlet
of Farway.

Listing NGR: SY1829895712

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26398096

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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