Description

KNOWSTONE
SS 82 SW
3/18 Luckett Farmhouse
-
- II

Farmhouse. Probably C16 origins extensively remodelled probably in laid C17, lower
end largely rebuilt in C20 with major repairs and alterations being undertaken at
time of survey (October 1986). Unrendered stone rubble, and some cob. Thatch roof
with gable ends, brick shaft to stone rubble stack with offsets at left gable end,
brick shaft to front lateral hall stack with offsets, capped stack at right end of
main range, and tall stack to kitchen wing at right lower end with 2 bread oven
projections.
Plan and development: interesting example of probably 3-room-and-through-passage
farmnouse entirely remodelled in C17. The evidence of the C16 fabric is the blocked
doorway, presumably to the former through-passage, immediately to the right of the
stack, a fragment of the original newel staircase to the rear of the former passage
and a garderobe incorporated in the rear stair projection. In the mid C17, the
interior was entirely remodelled, the roof structure was replaced, new floors
inserted or replaced, the hall was extended by taking in the former through-passage
and a new entrance made into the former lower end which was axially screened to
create a small unheated rear room. The stair outshut was enlarged and a larger
timber winder staircase inserted, now entering the rear of the hall. At the same
time a large 2-storey kitchen wing projecting forward of the main range and with a
large front end stack was added at the lower end. In the C20, this end, apart from
the gable end stack, was entirely rebuilt and reduced to a flat-roofed single
storey.
Exterior: 2 storeys. 3-window range. C20 fenestration all 3 light casements except
for a 4-light casement at right end, upper storey. C19 plank door, the upper half
glazed giving direct entry to inner room. Both the inner room window and doorway
have brick lintel and the alteration to the roof structure at this end reveals that
the front wall at this end was rebuilt in C19. Lean-to porch at right end with
plank inner door. Kitchen wing under process of complete reconstruction (apart from
kitchen stack) for second time in C20. C17 3-light ogee mullion to rear of hall and
3 light timber casement above with rectangular leaded panes.
Interior: the richness of the interior contrasts to the plain exterior. Both hall
and inner room have richly moulded cross beams (one to inner room, 2 to hall) and
upper end bressumers with richly carved scroll stops. The axial joist arrangement
is complete and all are scratch-moulded. Integral bench at upper end of hall has
C17 panelled back, with 2 tiers of small panelling surmounted by 5 sections of
ornamental carved cresting (cf Lemons Farmhouse Atherington). Timber lintel to
inner room fireplace, and chamfered timber lintel with elongated scroll stops to
hall fireplace. The hall/lower end partition is entirely rendered. The lower end
has the headrail of an axial screen dividing the entrance hall from the small rear
unheated room, the functions differentiated by the axial joist arrangement, those to
the front entrance hall being scratch-moulded. Chamfered timber lintel to kitchen
wing fireplace. C17 winder staircase to rear of hall with, to right, the surviving
bottom and top treads of the earlier newel stair. The stair outshut extends further
to the right and incorporates a garderobe which consists of a deep plastered niche
in the rear wall of the chamber over the lower end with a shoot which exits at the
base of the outshut beside a later buttress. The chambers retain their C17 layout,
with large chambers at each end and a smaller central chamber divided axially
towards the rear to create a linking passage at the head of the stairs between the 2
end chambers. All the stud partitions and original door surrounds survive,
including that at the head of the stairs and in the thick lower end wall which
originally provided access to the chamber over the former kitchen wing. All the
door surrounds have chamfered surrounds and flat 4-centred arched heads, except for
that to the central chamber, which is ovolo-moulded and has small rams horns stops.
The chamber over the inner room is heated by a decorative C19 Gothick style
fireplace, that over the lower end has a C17 chamfered timber lintel. Almost all
the upstairs lath and plaster ceilings have been removed, but this latter chamber
retains a fragment of a C17 moulded plaster cornice to the closed truss partition.
Roof structure: entirely C17 with 5 raised jointed cruck trusses, the feet of which
have mostly been modified. 3 tiers of threaded purlins and threaded ridge purlin.
2 of the trusses at each end of the central chamber are closed. Roof timbers are
entirely clean.
Luckett Farmhouse is an interesting example of an almost complete C17 remodelling of
an earlier farmhouse, with remarkably complete good quality C17 interior details.

Listing NGR: SS8283623780

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26611306

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

• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas