Description

CHAGFORD SX 68 NE 3/96 Barn approximately 3 metres north of Yeo Farmhouse 23.12.86

GV II*

Barn and stables, originally a first floor hall-house. Probably late C15-early C16, converted to agricultural use probably in C17, refurbished in late C19. Walls built of massive blocks of granite ashlar on footings of massive boulders, patched and altered with granite stone rubble; disused granite stack; corrugated iron roof (formerly thatch). Plan and development: the original plan is not easy to work out at present, mostly due to the alterations undertaken to convert the house to agricultural use. The building faces south-east. It seems likely that the very low ground floor had a 3- room plan possibly with a through passage but the main accommodation was on the first floor where there was probably a large hall and, at the right (north-eastern) end, a chamber with end stack and a garderobe alongside. Below the putative hall-chamber partition there is an original granite ashlar crosswall up to first floor level. The floor has been replaced and some is now unfloored. At some time (probably in the C17) it was converted to a threshing barn and a full height large doorway built onto the front directly opposite a now-blocked original rear doorway. This front door was reduced in size in the late C19, possibly when the barn was converted to its present use as stables. Exterior: the south-east front is largely the result of its agricultural use. Some of the original ashlar work is there, but the only recognisable original feature is the low ground floor doorway at the right end. Surrounded by granite ashlar it has an external granite lintel and an internal oak lintel, both soffit-chamfered, and the sides have shallow rebates for a doorframe. The other features are agricultural and built of granite rubble along with most of the upper wall section. Left of centre is the C20 stable door with hayloft loading hatch over filling in part of the probably C17 barn door. Another hayloft loading hatch to right. Also an irregular series of pigeon holes in the rubble-work under the eaves. Roof is gable-ended. The left (south-western) end is blind and the right end contains only a single small original window aperature high up and lighting the first floor chamber. The rear wall also contains much secondary patching and it is blind. It does however contain 1 original blocked doorway (directly opposite the front stable door). Interior is largely the result of the C19 refurbishment. All the carpentry detail, including the A-frame truss roof, dates from then. However the granite crosswall towards the right end is original. It rises only to first floor level and is apparently blind. In the right end wall there is an alcove to the former low ground floor room. The chamber above has a large fireplace; it is hooded with granite corbels and lintel with a window high to right of the chimney and at the left end a garderobe alcove. This last feature is proved to be a garderobe since, outside this corner, there is a disused channel connecting to the nearby stream. It is interesting to note that in some places granite ashlar appears on the inside where secondary rubble patching shows outside and vice versa. Therefore careful recording of the fabric might show more original features. This barn is the oldest building in a good group of listed farm and mill buildings which make up Yeo Farm and include the farmhouse (q.v.)., the office and garden railings (q.v.), the mill (q.v.), the smithy and cartshed (q.v.) and the Old School House (q.v.). Presumably this was the original farmhouse which was converted to agricultural use when the present farmhouse, once a Dartmoor longhouse, was built. It is an important building in its own right, being a rare Devon example of a late medieval first floor hall-house, but also important in the development of the farm here at Yeo. According to the owners the farm has been in the continuous occupation of the Perryman family since circa 1450.

Listing NGR: SX6785686588

External Links

• Wikidata Q17537277

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Recommended Books

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings