MDE21371 - West Bentwitchen Farmhouse (Building)

Dating from around 1500, the building was likely altered in the early to mid 17th Century. It is a former open hall house with cross passage and service room and an inner room. It has smoke-blackened rafters and was likely originally thatched.

Farmhouse. Circa 1500, altered probably in the early to mid 17th Century. Probably early to mid 20th Century 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). 17th Century 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 17th Century (present staircase appears to be largely 19th Century). It is probable the 17th Century 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 17th Century. The projecting full-height square bay would also have been added as part of the 17th Century 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 17th Century remodelling. Lean-to dairy at rear of upper (right-hand) end of house, probably a late 18th Century or early to mid 19th Century addition. Probably late 19th Century or early 20th Century 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 20th Century. 2- storeys with 1-storey additions. Exterior: Asymmetrically-fenestrated front, with 4 windows to first floor and 3 to ground floor; 20th Century 2-light wooden casements (larger ground-floor window to bay, 20th Century but probably in original opening). Cross-passage doorway in left-hand angle of projecting bay, with 19th Century 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 20th Century half-glazed door to right. Interior: Hall with part of 17th Century chamfered spine beams, the front beam with stepped runout stop. 17th Century 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 17th Century chamfered spine beam; 17th Century 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 20th Century 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 19th Century but possibly incorporating some 17th Century 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. 20th Century roof structure above old roof. [1] The building was visited in September 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [2]