Description

HARBERTON SX7856-SX7956 15/341 Beenleigh

9.2.61

GV II*

House. There has been a house on the site from C12 or C13 or earlier but the existing house is probably C15; in circa late C16 the hall was floored; in circa early C17 the north east wing was added; the later C17 north range was demolished in circa mid C19 possible at the same time as the lower room was demolished and the north east wing extended at the north end and remodelled probably circa 1840; C20 repairs and kitchen lean-to extension at the back of the hall. Slate and other local stone rubble, plastered and colourwashed on the south front and east side, entirely plastered north east wing, the addition in the angle has a timber stud north wall exposed on the first floor. Welsh slate roofs, gabled to lower west end hipped forner to higher east end, gable-ended north east wing has higher roof with projecting eaves, half hipped roof to addition in the rear angle; slate roof to lean-to outshuts. Projecting lateral stone rubble stack to rear of hall with C19 hexagonal brick shaft; axial (originally higher gable end) stack to main south range, rendered and tapered at top, rendered gable-end stacks to extension of north east wing. Plan: The C15 house originally had a 2 room and through passage plan, the lower room the the left has been demolished. The hall to the right was originally open to the roof. The partition between the passage and the hall has been removed. The lower end room was originally unheated and a stack inserted later. In circa late C16 the hall was floored and the chamber above provided with a fireplace at the higher gable end. The addition of the rear lateral stack may be coeval with the insertion of the floor; alternatively it would be either an original feature of the open hall as an intermediate phase when the fireplace replaced the open hearth before the floor was inserted. Soon after the hall was floored a 2-storey wing was added to the higher right hand end extending to the rear to form an L-shaped plan. On the outside of the inner face wall of this wing there is the remains of a fireplace on the first floor; this indicates there was once another wing parallel with the front range forming a courtyard at the back enclosed on the left side possibly by a wall or another range which like the back range no longer exists. Probably in the C17 a porch was built at the front of the through passage. The addition in the angle of the wall and the higher end wing is probably C18. In circa 1840 the higher end wing was remodelled and extended at the back. Probably at the same time in the C19 the lower end room and the parallel back range were demolished. Later in the C19 a single storey outshut was added to the inner side of the 1840 extension of the rear wing. In the C20 a kitchen outshut was built behind the hall and passage. Exterior: 2 storeys. South front is an irregular 3 window range; to right of centre a 4-light chamfered granite mullion window; the other windows are C19 and C20 2 and 3-light casements with glazing bars; at the extreme left end the passage doorway with a Beerstone round arch with a hoodmould and red sandstone jambs with double ogee moulding with convex stops; nail studded plank door cross-boarded at the back and with cover moulds at the front (similar but sandstone doorway at the rear of the passage (now inside) with drawbar); circa C17 open-fronted porch with stone side walls, slate seats inside and scantle slate lean-to roof with possibly original purlins and rafters. The lower west gable end has a blocked doorway to former lower room but the wall appears to have been rebuilt with a corbel set in the gable at about first floor window cill level. Window at rear of lower end of the hall (now within C20 kitchen lean-to) has chamfered granite 2-light frame. East elevation: the left hand section has asymmetrical fenestration on 3 early-mid C19 12-pane sashes, late C19 sash and casement with glazing bars; glazed door to right with circa early C20 glazed timber porch with tented slate roof. The right hand end of the east side projects and has higher level roof; 2 storeys 3 symmetrical bays of C19 12-pane sashes, the ground floor windows are larger, and plain central doorway with C19 6-panel door. Interior: The chamfered lintels over the passage front and rear doorways have long pyramid stops. At the lower end of the hall over the former passage one cross beam and a half beam against the lower end wall with 2 pairs of rolls and batt stops, the cross beam is on the higher side of the putative screen and the joists between these 2 beams are square section. The cross beams in the hall are deeply chamfered without stops and resting on corbels at one end and later wooden supports at the other end; there is a roughly chamfered half beam at the higher end of the hall. The large lateral hall fireplace has a bracket arch of slate voussoirs and sandstone jambs; the ovens were removed when the passage behind was formed. The ground floor room in the higher right hand room has 3 roll moulded ceiling beams with step stops. The chamber over the hall has a fireplace in the higher gable end wall with a chamfered timber lintel with hollow step stops. This fireplace has a corbelled stack which projects into the chamber behind and is weathered at the top in the roof space which suggests strongly that the wing was added later; the straight masonry joint at the side of the stack indicates it is an insertion presumably when the hall was floored. On the back of the stack in the higher end chamber there is a painted mural with a plaited wreath around initials. Roofs: The hall roof has been largely replaced but there is one circa C17 truss at the higher end, its straight principals have mortices for 2 tiers of threaded purlins and the collar has notched lapped joints; half of another principal survives. The higher gable end of the hall is plastered and the lower gable end exposed stone. There is no sign of any smoke-blackening over the hall. The higher (right) end wing has a 5 bay roof with ached braced collars, 2 tiers of threaded purlins and no ridge piece. On the first floor the truss between bays 2 and 3 there is plank and muntin screen. The roof over the north end of the east wing has C19 softwood king post trusses. Beenleigh was never referred to as a manor and seems to have been part of the manor of Harberton (Mr Laithwaite). In 1984 an archaeological excavation was carried out at the lower end of the house and D Griffith's report provided the information for the part of the description.

Listing NGR: SX7972056545

External Links

• Wikidata Q17533920

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Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)