Listed Building: WEST BENTWITCHEN FARMHOUSE (1214052)

NORTH MOLTON BENTWITCHEN SS 73 SW 10/132 West Bentwitchen Farmhouse - II Farmhouse. Circa 1500, altered probably in the early to mid C17. Probably early to mid C20 alterations and minor additions. Rendered stone rubble and cob. Gable-ended asbestos-slate roof (probably formerly thatched), with lean-to Welsh-slate roof over porch and dairy. Monopitch corrugated-iron roof over scullery. Stone square stacks with weatherings; later render and red brick tops. Plan and development: Circa 1500 3-room and cross passage plan, facing south-west (ground falls to left). Former late-Medieval open hall house, consisting of hall with projecting full-height-gabled square bay to front, cross passage and service room (present kitchen) to left and inner room to right. Formerly open to the roof (probably continuously from end to end with rooms divided by low partitions). C17 alterations included the insertion of the first floor, insertion of the axial stack to the left-hand end of the hall (backing onto the cross passage), insertion of the integral end stack to the service room and external end stack to the former inner room. Winder staircase (with small pantry behind) at rear of former cross passage, probably also inserted in the C17 (present staircase appears to be largely C19). It is probable the C17 flooring was carried out in stages, the hall remaining open to the roof after the hall stack was inserted and the end rooms floored (note high lintel to hall fireplace). The hall was probably floored last, later in the C17. The projecting full-height square bay would also have been added as part of the C17 remodelling, perhaps to compensate for the loss of space in the hall after the insertion of the stack. Eaves raised at some time, possibly as part of the C17 remodelling. Lean-to dairy at rear of upper (right-hand) end of house, probably a late C18 or early to mid C19 addition. Probably late C19 or early C20 alterations include the lean-to porch to cross-passage entrance and small scullery set back to left. Wall between hall and inner room partly removed, probably in the C20. 2- storeys with 1-storey additions. Exterior: Asymmetrically-fenestrated front, with 4 windows to first floor and 3 to ground floor; C20 2-light wooden casements (larger ground-floor window to bay, C20 but probably in original opening). Cross-passage doorway in left-hand angle of projecting bay, with C19 boarded door and lean-to slate-roofed porch. Projecting weathering to left of right-hand ground-floor window, possibly indicating a blocked door or window. One-storey scullery to left with C20 half-glazed door to right. Interior: Hall with part of C17 chamfered spine beams, the front beam with stepped runout stop. C17 open fireplace to left with dressed stone jambs, high cambered chamfered wooden lintel (chamfer returning to jambs) and segmental brick arched bread oven with cast-iron door. Inner room to right with C17 chamfered spine beam; C17 open stone fireplace to right (reduced in width at some time) has chamfered wooden lintel with stepped runout stops. Old boarded door to rear of inner room with strap hinges, leading to dairy at rear, which has barred windows with internal shutters. Left-hand ground-floor room (kitchen) with C20 cased steel beam and old open fireplace to right with unchamfered wooden lintel and segmental stone relieving arch. Winder staircase at rear of former cross passage, mainly C19 but possibly incorporating some C17 work. Substantial remains of late Medieval smoke-blackened roof. Medieval truss (possibly jointed crucks) at lower (left-hand) end of hall (in front of stack) with mortise and tenoned cranked collar and morticed and tenoned apex. Pairs of threaded purlins, surviving over hall at least, and diagonally-set ridge piece, surviving over hall and inner-room end (sawn through between hall and inner-room end, possibly when truss removed at this point). Smoke-blackened rafters (with some laths) over hall and inner-room end. C20 roof structure above old roof. Listing NGR: SS7307634008