MSO10578 - Burrowhayes Farmhouse, West Luccombe (Building)

A 16th Century farmhouse, enlarged or partly rebuilt in the late 18th or early 19th Century. It is thought to contain a finely moulded 12 panel compartment ceiling, a resited cross passage partition and 4 pairs of jointed cruck trusses.

Farmhouse. C16, enlarged or partly rebuilt late C18-early C19, altered mid C19. Red sandstone random rubble, triple ridge tiles, overhanging eaves, external stone stack west gable end, large lateral stack centre, external stone stack south east gable end. L-plan, 3-cell and cross passage rebuilt and enlarged. South front: one and a half storeys, all late C18-early C19 casements, two 2-light dormers left of lateral stack, one right, two tiny C20 windows above entrance, cross gable end unlit, ground floor 2-light left, two similar right of inserted doorway, to left of lateral stack 4-light ogee headed wooden window frame, foliage decoration in spandrels with initials WS flanking central mullion, fine moulded ogee headed door frame right, no stops to jambs, C19 plank door, under triple ridge tiled pentice porch extended left over window, plank door to entrance left. Right return, 2 bays, canted bay on ground floor with half glazed door right. Interior not seen; said to contain finely moulded 12-panel compartment ceiling, cut by resited cross passage partition when stairs inserted, and 4 pairs of jointed cruck trusses. (VAG Report, unpublished SRO, October 1980). [1,8] English Heritage Listed Building Number: 265348. First Listed on 22/05/1969. [2] 3-cell Cross passage plan. Stone, Random rubble walls. Cruck, Gabled roof [3] The building was surveyed by the National Trust in January 1996. It was thought to date to the 16th Century and was described as an outstanding farmhouse with wonderful moulded and chamfered intersecting beams forming the ceiling in the hall, the main room of the cross passage house. The use of decoration of the beams stresses social differentiation in the hall, with the moulded timbers being set over the higher end and simple chamfers being sited over the lower. The plan of the building is two cell and cross passage, with a cross wing (replacing the lower room). Important features were listed as a heavily moulded door frame and four light ogee headed mullion window with carved decoration in the spandrels externally and a 16th Century roof structure over the house with raised and / or jointed crucks, as well as the hall ceiling. [4] The building was visited in May 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [5] Cruck farmhouse constructed during the late 16th century, rebuilt in the late 18th Century/early 19th century with mid 19th Century alterations. It is L shaped with a cross passage plan and is constructed of sandstone rubble with a tile roof. [6,8] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [7] The building was assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings, receiving a BAR score of 6. [9]