Description

SS 80 NW SANDFORD PROWSE LANE

1/252 Prowse Farmhouse 26.8.65

GV II*

Manor house, now farmhouse. Probably late C15, improved and extended in C16. Plastered cob and rubble; volcanic stone stacks topped with C20 brick; wheat reed thatched roof, replaced with slate on rear service wing. Originally a 3-room-and- through-passage house facing south with service room at west (left) end. In C16 rear wing added at right angles to rear of service room and inner room rebuilt as a crosswing projecting to front and back. The front projection of cross wing collapsed circa 1920 and was rebuilt flush with main front and without gable end. End stack projecting from service room, large projecting lateral stack to rear of hall and end stack to service wing. Irregularly-spaced 6-window front of C20 casements and C20 doors at right end and to passage left of centre, latter in C20 round-headed arch. Rear elevation includes earlier features with late C15-early C16 round-headed oak doorframe to rear of through passage which still includes original studded oak plank door with plain strap hinges. Late C17-early C18 casement above door has flat-faced mullions, vertical iron glazing bars and rectangular panes of largely-original leaded glass. On inner side of service wing first floor window has mid-late C16 3-light oak frame with elaborately-moulded mullions and inner side of east wing includes mid-late C16 oak doorframe with segmental head. Good interior includes much late C15 and C16 carpentry of exceptional quality. Earliest structural elements are the 4 roof bays at west end. Late C15 trusses are possibly jointed crucks but evidence of jointing is plastered over. Early type of apex with saddle piece over ends of principals carrying a square-set ridge (Alcock's Type C). The trusses have cambered collars and arch bracing with carved bosses at the apex (remarkably similar to those at nearby Bremridge Farmhouse (q.v.). Trusses carry 2 sets of butt purlins and single sets of windbraces. This structure is completely smoke-blackened, indicating that the original house was divided by low partitions and heated by an open hearth fire. House was transformed in C16 by rebuild of inner room as crosswing, addition of service wing, insertion of chimney stacks and flooring of main block. Early-mid C16 crosswing has remains of 4-bay roof of side-pegged jointed cruck trusses with single sets of windbracing. Central truss was originally closed by large-framed partition. Front room (reduced in length after collapse of front circa 1920) is said to have been a chapel. Rear room is connected to main block by flat-arched oak doorway and its roof damaged by hipped end. Ground floor of crosswing also shows evidence of central framed crosswall. The chamfered beams each side have runout stops and rest on posts with jowled heads against hall. The through passage has a pitched stone floor and an elaborately-moulded mid-C16 oak plank-and-muntin screen to the hall, its frieze enriched with square floral motifs. The passage roof has an 8-panel intersecting beam ceiling with richly-moulded beams, sets of moulded joists at right angles to those in neighbouring panels and carved oak bosses including a Tudor rose and an heraldic achievement. Both screen and ceiling have survived unstained. Hall has a 15-panel intersecting beam ceiling with similar but not identical mouldings to the beams in the passage, unmoulded sets of joists at right angles to those in neighbouring panels (mostly plastered over) and no bosses. Hall is now subdivided and C16 fireplace has been rebuilt and reduced in size reusing the original Beer stone jambs. A cob crosswall divides the passage from the service end. Service room and rear wing have plain chamfered crossbeams. Service room fireplace is blocked. Stack to rear wing added probably in C18; it blocks attic gable window. Wing has mid-late C16 3-bay roof of oak A-frame trusses with cambered collars mortice-and-tenoned to principals. Eastern 2 bays of main block rebuilt in C17. Other early features probably remain hidden throughout the building. Prowse is a very interesting and important house. The manor is also known as Higher Dodderidge. It is recorded as the house of Walter Prou in 1330. (Place-names of Devon).

Listing NGR: SS8434305501

External Links

• Wikidata Q17531108

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Recommended Books

• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)