MSO10782 - Karslake House, Winsford (Building)

16th or 17th Century stone built farmhouse with malthouse and 18th Century outbuilding, previously a shop and now a hotel. There is a mounting block to the front of the property. Sir John Karslake was Attorney General 1867-1868.

Farmhouse with malthouse and outbuildings, now hotel. Probably C16-C17, C18 outbuilding, all refronted early C19, some alterations late C20. Rendered over rubble, slate roof, overhanging eaves on shaped wooden brackets, roughcast stack left gable end, between third and fourth bays left and fourth and fifth, large lateral stack on wing at rear. Plan: possibly 3-cell and cross passage with 2 wings at rear and long agricultural outbuilding addition set at an angle in north-west corner. Two storeys, 6 bays; first floor 16-pane sash windows in raised surrounds except for C20 2-light casement end bay right, ground floor similar 16-pane sash windows flanking entrance left, another to right of C20 entrance, C20 window and double shop front beyond; 4 step mounting block to left of C20 door. Interior: much altered, remains of collar and principal roof to outbuilding in north east corner, and floor of malthouse, said to survive in room above entrance. Said to be named after Sir John Karslake, Attorney General 1867-8, it became a shop in the early C20. [1] English Heritage Listed Building Number: 265564. First Listed on 02/01/1986. [2] 3-cell Cross passage plan. Stone, Render walls. Gabled roof [3] The building was visited in March 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. The house received a BAR score of 6 and the mounting block a score of 4A. [4] Karslake House (with mounting block), rendered over rubble, with slate roof and front overhanging eaves on timber brackets was previously a farmhouse and malthouse dating from the 16th-17th Century. The six bay frontage has early 19th Century 16-pane sash windows mainly at first floor level and in raised surrounds. The long rear outbuilding is mainly 18th Century with subsequent alterations made, mainly in the late 20th Century. The listing details mention that the name derives from Sir John Karslake, Attorney General 1867-1868 and that it was a shop in the early 20th century with double shopfront with smallpaned windows surviving. [5] When the owners of the general store at Karslake House became old and unable to continue, the bakery opened a shop in their small front room. Karslake House already took in some paying guests while it housed the village shop, so after the shop closed the property became a guesthouse. The shop premises were converted into the present dining room / restaurant. [6] The Winsford Archive hold an historic photograph which includes a view of the old shopfront at Karslake House in c.1920. [7] Winsford was designated as a conservation area in 2023. The new appraisal was produced as part of the adoption of the conservation area. [8] 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]