Description

SX 37 NE MILTON ABBOT

9/208 Leigh Barton - 21.3.67 GV II*

Farmhouse. Early C16 with alterations of 1847 for the Duke of Bedford. Hurdwick stone rubble with a slate roof gabled at ends, 2 gable end stone stacks and 1 stone stack on the ridge. The present building is probably a fragment of a large courtyard plan house which is likely to have been the "Leigh" referred to as one of the original endowments to Tavistock Abbey. The original plan of the surviving range may have been 3 rooms and a through passage with an open hall associated with a stack and a ceiled heated inner room. The roof trusses are not smoke-blackened and are consistent in design throughout the length of the range and appear to be early C16. The trusses are paired above the former passage. The ceiling of the inner room also appears to be early C16 as does the ceiling of small rectangular room possibly an oriel, giving off the inner room. Alternatively, there may have been a great chamber and no open hall, although there is no visible evidence of an early fireplace at first floor level. The present plan is under a 2-span roof, the rear span is an addition and may represent the re-roofing of a stair turret at the rear of the inner room, the adjoining oriel and the provision of a later stair at the rear of the former through passage. A rear right wing forms an L-plan. 2 storeys. 5-bay asymmetrical front appears to have been largely refaced in 1847 (datestone), when the house was refenestrated and the mullioned windows were removed to Morwell (Tavistock Hamlets). Slightly advanced gabled bay in the centre has 1847 in the gable and may represent either the stub of early wing or a desire for symmetry in 1847. The plinth appears to be original only to the left of the central bay which has a 3-light C19 timber casement window with a high transom and a similar smaller window to the first floor. Off-centre moulded segmental granite doorway to the right of the central bay. Ground floor window right is a 3-light C19 timber casement with high transom. The remaining windows are 2-light C19 casements, 8-panes per light, the first floor windows being half-dormers with slate-hung gables. A variation in the plinth at the right-hand end of the front suggests that rebuilding has occured at the right end, which contains a blocked chamfered architrave for a mullioned window and a chamfered ogee-headed slit window at approximately the level of the first floor. In addition, the right-hand end also appears to have 2 blocked quatrefoil lights. Interior 12 trusses with principals with curved feet which appear to be raised crucks. The trusses have cambered chamfered collars mortised into the principals with the chamfers continuing on to the principals. 2-tiers of chamfered purlins and a diagonally-set ridge, original rafters intact. The trusses are paired over the former through passage but otherwise identical. At the lower end the principals rest on a moulded timber bressumer visible in one upstairs room. The inner room has a fine ceiling with long moulded axial beams carried on moulded granite corbels. The beams have wide bar run out stops. Moulded granite fireplace. The small rectangular room giving-off the inner room has 3 less elaborately moulded axial beams with stops. There was formerly a solid wall with a small doorway between this and the inner room, the wall has been removed. The middle room has a large moulded granite fireplace. 3 moulded granite corbels to the front wall presumably formerly supported cross beams. A blocked chamfered arched doorway on the rear wall is puzzling. The lower end room has a good mid C19 chimney piece. Some evidence for the scale of the original build at Leigh is apparent from numerous moulded and worked granite stones in the garden including what may be gatepier finials with blind flamboyant tracery. Finberg states that the location of the "Leigh" refered to in the Tavistock Abbey documents cannot be identified with certainty. H. P. R. Finberg, Tavistock Abbey (1969).

Listing NGR: SX3952777315

External Links

• Wikidata Q17536980

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