Description

DIPTFORD SX75NW 4/203 Combeshead Farmhouse including garden area wall adjoining north

GV II

Farmhouse and adjoining wall. Circa early C17, rearranged and remodelled in circa early C19 and little altered since. Slate rubble, slate hung left hand gable end. Grouted and slurried scantle slate roof, the left end gabled, the right end hipped. Circa C17 crested ridge tiles. Slate hung chimney stack at left gable end and large slate rubble projecting rear lateral stack with set-offs and massive shaft heightened in red brick in late C19 or C20. Plan: the original early C17 house facing south was probably 2 storeys with 2 rooms and a central through passage. The parlour to the left (west) heated from an end stack; the larger hall/kitchen to the right (now centre) heated from a rear lateral stack. The central through passage has an open fronted porch and adjoining to the left side of which there is a newel stair turret in front of the parlour. In the early C19 the house was remodelled and turned back to front, the through passage widened and a framed staircase inserted into what became the back of the new stairhall blocking the newel stairs; the parlour was partitioned forming a small parlour and a small unheated room. At the lower right hand east end an addition was built, partitioned to form a dairy at the new front and a cellar behind and with a cross-passage separating them from the original lower end of the house. Part of the original lower east end wall was demolished and a new partition inserted taking a little space out of the hall. An outshut was added at the new front (north) of this lower end passage and a low wall was built forming a small garden area in front of the house. Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical south front with 4 first floor windows not aligned over the 3 ground floor windows. All circa early C20 3-light casements with glazing bars and slate cills except for the hall window to the right of centre which is a longer 4-light window and the right hand windows on both floors which are 2-light casements. The doorway to left of centre has a slate rubble open-fronted porch with a slate lean-to roof. Adjoining to the left of the porch a rectangular projecting stair turret over which the main roof is carried down and with very small window below eaves. C20 concrete block lateral chimney shaft to right of front. The rear (north) has circa early C20 2-light casements with slate cills, disposed towards the right, 3 on first floor, 2 on the ground floor either side of C20 glazed door in the original rear doorway. To the left of centre a large projecting lateral chimney stack with slate weathered set-offs; and to the left of the stack a narrow but deep later lean-to outshut with a small gable ended outbuilding in its left hand angle. At the far right end a rendered taking buttress. The slate weathering survives for a pentice roof which has been removed from above the doorway and ground floor windows. Including the lower slate rubble garden area wall which is integral with the outshut on the left, continues along the front of the house and returns to the right of the doorway; presumably added with the outshut. Interior: Little altered since Cl9 with panelled and plank doors and plastered ceilings. The cross-beam in the parlour is chamfered with hollow step stops. Hall ceiling is plastered over. Hall has rear lateral fireplace which has been blocked with a C20 grate. The early C19 stairhall has circa early C19 fielded panel doors to hall and parlour and an early C19 framed open well staircase at the back of the stairhall with stick balusters, square newels, moulded handrail and closed string. Roof: C19 or C20 nailed softwood trusses. The house is situated at the head of a coombe, on slate bedrock. The original front faces south where the ground level drops sharply in front of the small front garden. At the west parlour end of the house the ground is also much lower and at the east kitchen end the ground slopes away down the valley. The ground at the back (north) is higher; the north became the new front of the house in the early C19 and faces the farm buildings (qv) which were probably built at the same time in the early C19.

Listing NGR: SX7451855504

External Links

• Wikidata Q26610594

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Recommended Books

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets