MDE20304 - Kipscombe Farmhouse (Building)

Farmhouse and adjoining outbuilding with barn with shippon. Probably mid 17th Century with mid to late 18th Century alterations and additions and mid to late 19th Century alterations and additions. Cement-rendered, probably over coursed sandstone rubble, with gable-end slate roof, half hipped to right (north). Two brick stacks, the others rendered. Barn and outbuilding of uncoursed sandstone rubble with some red brick dressings, and gable-ended slate and corrugated-asbestos roof. Plan and development: probable 17th Century three-room-and-cross-passage plan consisting of hall with axial stack to right backing onto probably former cross-passage with 19th Century inserted staircase, lower room to right with lateral stack to rear and small unheated inner room to left (south), latterly dairy. Probably 18th Century are room addition at first floor level into the hillside to left with integral end stack and 18th Century 1- room wing added to front (east) of hall, also with integral end stack. One-storey 19th Century outbuilding projecting in front of lower room and 6-bay barn over shippon projecting at right angles to rear (west) of lower end. 2 storeys with one-storey first-floor addition to left, 1-storey outbuilding and 2- storey farmbuilding to rear consisting of shippon with barn above, approached at ground level to rear. Exterior: of house facing east. Asymmetrical 2-window front; 19th Century 2 and 3-light wooden casements. 19th Century or 20th Century half-glazed door off centre to right. Left-hand additional with 19th Century wooden casement to left and 19th Century or 20th Century half-glazed door to right with late 20th Century glazed porch. Projecting kitchen wing to front into first-floor 19th Century two-light wooden casement on gable-end and small first-floor wooden casement and 20th Century glazed door in right-hand room front. First and ground floor 20th Century casements in left- hand return front. Right-hand gable-end of main range with first-floor 19th Century two- light wooden casement, ground-floor 20th Century two-light wooden casement and boarded basement door with wooden lintel. Left-hand gable-end of main range with 19th Century boarded door. Exterior of barn and shippon: facing north. Boarded loft door off-centre to right flat stone arch and 4-pane loft casement to left with segmental stone-arched head. Ground-floor boarded doors to left and right and central window opening, all with segmental brick-arched heads. Wide 20th Century opening inserted in ground floor to right with steel lintel. Rear of barn has central pair of large boarded doors with short flanking walls and pent roof over. Interior of house: hall with pair of deep-chamfered cross-beams and old open fireplace with bread oven and 20th Century wooden lintel. Rest of interior not inspected at time of survey (July 1987). Interior of barn and shippon: 6-bay roof within collar trusses and pairs of purlins; stalls in shippon below. [1] The Countisbury Tithe Map of 1839 shows Kipscombe Farmhouse and Cottage arranged around a small enclosed courtyard. A separate barn is shown to the west, aligned north to south and another smaller building to the east [4]. By the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map was surveyed, the northern part of the farmhouse seems to have been removed but it had been extended to the south and a small partially open courtyard remained. The old barn to the west had been removed and a new six bay barn over a shippon added to the north end of the farmhouse. [2-4] The buildings were visited in September 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. The farmhouse and outbuilding received a BAR score of 6 and the barn and shippon a score of 5. [6] The buildings were assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings, receiving a BAR score of 4A. [5]