Description

NORTH MOLTON
SS 73 SW
10/114 Great Combshead Farmhouse and
- outbuildings adjoining to south
east (or Combes Head Farmhouse)
II
Farmhouse. Early to mid-C17, altered and enlarged in the mid to late C19. Rendered
over stone rubble, with some cob to rear. Partly rebuilt and enlarged in uncoursed
stone rubble with red-brick dressings to openings. Gable-ended scantle-slate roofs.
Outbuildings of rubble and cob, with gable-ended slate and corrugated asbestos
roofs. Stone stacks, that to rear of dressed stone, with C19 red brick shafts.
Plan and development: Three room and cross-passage plan, facing south-east. Ground
falls to left. Consisting of hall with external lateral stack to rear, former cross
passage, possibly formerly through passage (recess in rear wall at foot of stairs
might be blocked rear doorway), to left and service room (present kitchen) beyond
with integral brick end stack and former inner room to right with integral end stack.
Staircase inserted in cross passage, probably in the C19, approached from rear. C19
alterations included rebuilding of left-hand gable end and addition of parlour wing
at right angles to front of service room, with external lateral stack to left. Wall
dividing hall and right-hand ground-floor room removed, probably some time in the
C20. The parlour wing appears to be C19 (see window details etc.) but could be a C19
remodelling and refronting of an earlier wing (see suggestion of straight joint to
left-hand return front. C17 chamfered beam in line of front wall of service room
might have been former spine beam, relocated when wing added. Cottage possibly
latterly divided (see evidence of former staircase in right-hand room). Two storeys.
Exterior: Asymmetrically-fenestrated front; two first-floor late C19 three-light
wooden casements to right, 2 small C20 casements to left, and 2 ground-floor late C19
three-light wooden casements to right. C19 half-glazed four-panelled cross-passage
door to left. Wing to left with plinth. Gable end to front has C19 three light
wooden casement to each floor, each with brick segmental-arched head. Right-hand
return front with segmental headed 3-light wooden casement to each floor and left-
hand return front with first-floor C19 two-light wooden casement to left of stack and
C20 half-glazed door below in C19 segmental headed opening. Left-hand gable end with
C19 or C20 two-light segmental-headed wooden casements to each floor. Stack to rear
of hall has slate roofed lean-to bread oven to right. One storey outbuilding
adjoining at right angles to front of right-hand end, the left-hand end forming lobby
to door of house. Left-hand return with C20 two-light casement and boarded door to
left and C19 two-light wooden window to right with wooden lintel. C19 stable
adjoining to right with loft door, ground-floor window to left and 2 segmental headed
boarded doors to right.
Interior: Former hall and inner room have C17 chamfered cross beams and half beams
(partition wall between rooms has been removed) with scroll stops. Open C17 hall
fireplace with dressed-stone jambs, chamfered wooden lintel with runout stops, C19
mantelshelf and bread oven to left with C19 segmental brick arch and cast-iron door.
C17 open fireplace to inner room with dressed sandstone jambs, chamfered wooden
lintel with runout stops and bread oven with C19 brick arch and cast-iron door.
Chamfered beam between kitchen and parlour wing, possibly relocated. C19 stair with
chamfered beam at foot. Recess in rear wall at foot of stairs, possibly blocked
former rear through-passage doorway. C19 oak door with 2 raised and fielded panels
in first-floor room of front wing C17 roof over main range.
Also known as Coombes Head Farmhouse.

Listing NGR: SS7289230888

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26508942

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)