Description

ASHTON HIGHER ASHTON
SX 88 SE
6/9 Place Barton
11.11.52.
GV II*
House, seat of the Chudleighs circa 1320-1745. Early C16 or earlier origins with
considerable subsequent remodelling including thorough renovations of the 1930s.
Stone rubble with a slate roof (formerly thatched), gabled at ends; end stacks, front
lateral stack and 2 axial stacks to main block, rear lateral stack to main block
heating rear right wing.
Plan: It is likely that the extant house was once part of a large courtyard plan
arrangment, much of which has disappeared above ground. It has been suggested that
the surviving main block is the kitchen wing but the kitchen has a surprising high
quality roof, although there is some doubt about the date of the exposed timbers.
The present plan is a single depth north block, 4 rooms wide with two one room plan
rear wings. A south east block at right angles is part ruinous with a cottage at the
south end. Complex evolution, the sequence of remodelling confused by the re-use of
old timbers, probably in the 1930s. 2 late C15 or early C16 doorways into the north
block, the left hand doorway faces a C20 stair and may originally have led into a
cross passage; the right hand doorway gives directly into the right hand room which
is still single storey and was formerly heated by an open hearth fire, subsequently
replaced by a massive late C16/early C17 kitchen fireplace. The adjacent room to the
left (west) is heated by a fireplace on the right hand wall and has an exceptionally
fine roof to the first floor room above, probably a great chamber. The left hand
room, heated by the front lateral stack, also seems to have functioned as a kitchen
and incorporates an unusual rounded stair turret, rather awkwardly positioned in the
room. The rear right wing is heated, the rear left wing has a high quality roof.
The south-east block is linked to the north block by a short section of wall with a
circa late C15/early C16 doorway: the north end of the wing is ruinous but includes
the remains of a large fireplace; to the south there is a cottage and evidence of use
as farmbuildings. Exposed foundation stones parallel to the north block indicate a
former range to the south.
Exterior: North block single storey at the right end, otherwise 2 storey. Long
asymmetrical 10 window north elevation with a projecting front lateral stack with
bread oven to the left and 2 moulded, slightly arched granite stopped doorways to the
centre and right, C20 casements with diamond leaded panes to the ground floor, 6
gabled dormers to the first floor with C20 glazing. The left end stack is corbelled
out and heats the first floor only. The rear right wing has a granite coped gable
and granite quoins, the rear left wing has an outshut against the outer wall, the
narrow space between the wings has been filled in in the late C20. The south east
elevation consists of the rear of the cottage and a store to the left and a section
of walling to the right. The cottage has a rear lateral stack flanked by dormer
windows; garage door to store which has a ground floor 2-light granite mullioned
window. The section of walling has several blocked doorways with timber lintels, the
wall coped and rising on corbels above a slightly arched moulded late C15/early C16
granite doorway to the right. The left return of the cottage has a moulded brecchia
window frame on the ground floor, probably re-sited as the ventilation slit above
suggests that the cottage may originally have functioned as an outbuilding. The west
elevation of the cottage has an internal lateral stack, 3 ground floor and 1 first
floor window and pigeon holes below the eaves.
Interior: The north block has a notable series of roofs and other features of
interest. The room at the right end, open to the roof timbers with a gallery jettied
into it at the left has extensive 1930s carpentry: the gallery and dog-leg stair
leading to it are mostly 1930s but some of the moulded joists which carry the jetty
appear to be C16. The roof is also problematic: a ceiled wagon of 2 bays with
moulded ribs carried on moulded timber corbels, it may be entirely 1930s fixed
underneath the late medieval roof above; the massive kitchen fireplace at the right
end, the cut stone segmental arched lintel extending the full width of the room with
several bread ovens and evidence for a spit arrangement. A massive moulded
Beerstone lintel, probably the lintel of the hall fireplace, is fixed on the hearth.
A second fireplace beneath the jetty is probably a C20 design re-using old jambs and
a lintel, broken into the rear of the stack of the adjacent room. The 2 centre rooms
are comparatively plain:- the left hand room has blocked fireplace, C16 oak doorframe
with a rounded arch on the rear wall and a rough crossbeam. The extreme left hand
room has re-sited C17 crossbeams, an open fireplace with a cambered lintel and a
rounded stone newel stair turret with a granite doorway rebated for a door and steep,
narrow stone stairs. The rear right wing has a chamfered stopped crossbeam.
Roof: The roof over the right hand room is puzzling:- the ceiled wagon is an
extraordinary roof type for a secular building in Devon, apart from being
surprisingly grand for a kitchen. It seems possible that the moulded ribs, of slender
scantling, have been applied to what is a late medieval sooted roof above, presumably
in the 1930s. The late medieval roof is not thoroughly accessible but has 2 main
trusses, mortised collars and probably jointed cruck principals. The next room left
has a C16 roof; 3 bays of moulded arched brace design (most of the braces missing)
with moulded purlins and 2 tiers of wind bracing. There is no sooting on the roof
timbers. To the left of this room there is a truss with straight principals,
probably C17 and the extreme left hand room has a pair of curved braces and collar
suggesting that this end of the house was once roofed at right angles to the main
block. The 2 rear wings also have roofs of interest; the rear left wing has 2 closely
- spaced arched brace trusses with chamfered braces and curved wind braces (1 wind
brace missing). The rear right wing is of jointed cruck construction, with side-
pegged crucks.
Lysons records that Sir George Chudleigh, created baronet in 1622, was on the
Parliamentarian side at the beginning of the Civil War, but transferred his loyalty
to the King. In 1645 it was garrisoned for the King and taken by the
Parliamentarians who subsequently garrisoned it. Lysons describes the house as "in
ruins ; part of it has been fitted up as a farm-house" , Devonshire, pt II (1822), p.
17.

Listing NGR: SX8541284720

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535059

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)