Description

SX 79 SW
9/168

HITTISLEIGH
HITTISLEIGH MILL LANE
Whitethorn Farmhouse

II*

Farmhouse. Early C16, extensively refurbished and partly rebuilt in early-mid C17,
extended and modernised in C19. Plastered cob on rubble footings; granite stacks,
some topped with plastered C19 brick; thatched roof. L-shaped building facing
south. Originally a 3-room-and-through-passage house with inner room at west
(left) which was rebuilt in C17 as a parlour cross-wing projecting a little to
rear. Service end extended with dairy and hayloft in C19. Rear lateral stack to
service room, hall stack backing onto passage and parlour stack in rear end wall.
Now 2 storeys throughout. Irregular 5-window front. C19 20-pane sashes to hall
(left of passage door) and to parlour chamber under C20 washboarded gable end of
cross wing. Parlour has C20 French windows. The 3 first floor half dormers have
thatched gables and the 2 to right have possibly C18 3-light casements with glazing
bars and C19 shaped bargeboards under gables. Hayloft loading bay at right end.
To rear C17 granite chimney shaft with triple-moulded coping and a 2 storey
projection behind rear passage door, either former stair turret or porch, includes
2 C17 2-light oak framed windows with ovolo moulded mullions.
Good interior: The continuous smoke-blackened roof structure and thatch over the
hall, passage and service room indicates that the original house was open to the-
roof, heated by an open hearth fire and divided by low patitions. The roof is
carried on true or jointed cruck trusses (the lower parts are boxed in) with
cambered collars and chamfered soffits. Along lower side of passage head beam of
C16 oak plank-and-muntin screen remain in situ but the planks and muntins including
a shoulder-headed doorpost were rearranged in C20. Large granite fireplace with
sloping oak lintel and inserted C19 bread oven in service room and large granite
fireplace with oak lintel in hall may be C16 but all other notable features are
early-mid C17. In service room the axial beam and window lintel are both chamfered
with scroll stops and in the north-east corner an oak framed newel stair has
scratch-moulded plank door and strap hinges with fleur de lys terminals. Similar
door from passage to hall but with vertical moulded cover strips. Hall has ovolo-
moulded crossbeam and at upper end arrangement of pegs in headbeam suggests an oak
plank-and-muntin screen behind plaster. Parlour includes chamfered axial beam with
scroll stops, a large granite ashlar fireplace with hollow chamfered sides and an
ogee-moulded oak lintel with enriched chamfer-scroll stops, a moulded plaster
frieze comprising repeated rectangular panels of simple bifurcated scrolls
interrupted in places by square panels containing pea-pod motifs. Winder stair to
right of fireplace has scratch-moulded plank door and strap hinges with fleur de
lys terminals and a similar cupboard alongside. Parlour chamber has a granite
fireplace similar but smaller than that below and 2 bay roof supported on oak A-
frame truss with dovetail-lap collar. The present bathroom over the passage is
lined with reused C17 oak scratch-moulded planking.

Listing NGR: SX7329094557

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531118

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)