Venn Ottery Barton Including Outbuildings Adjoining to West, Newton Poppleford and Harpford, Devon

Description

SY 09 NE NEWTON POPPLETON VENN OTTERY
AND HARPFORD
4/94 Venn Ottery Barton including
- outbuildings adjoining to west

GV II

Guest house, former farmhouse. C16 origins, refurbished in late C17 - early C18 and
thoroughly modernised circa 1810, a circa 1810 extension and another circa 1970.
Mostly plastered cob on stone rubble footings, later extensions of plastered brick,
stone and concrete blocks; stone rubble stacks topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate
roofs, the pre C19 parts were formerly thatch.
The main block facing north still retains the original 3-room-and-through-passage
plan with the inner room at the left (eastern) end. The inner room has a projecting
end stack and the hall has a projecting front lateral stack. In fact the wall to
right of the hall stack has been brought forward flush with the front of the stack.
On the evidence of a chimney shaft the service end room has a front lateral stack
but inside only a disused kitchen-size end fireplace shows. Maybe the front stack
only served a first floor fireplace. The rear of the original passage is now blocked
by a C20 corridor along the rear of the house. Circa 1810 the main house was
rearranged and a cross passage inserted in the inner room to a new block built
parallel with the main house behind the inner room which also includes a
contemporary staircase. It has a right (western) end stack. At the same time
farmbuildings were built onto the right end of the main block and some replaced C17
features were incorporated here. Circa 1970 a 1-room extension was added onto the
left end of the circa 1810 rear extension and built on the same axis, and, at the
same time, the farmbuildings closest to the house were converted to guest rooms. 2
storeys throughout.
Main house has an irregular 5-window front of C19 oak-framed 3-light casements with
glazing bars. The main doorway is now left of centre and is an early C19 6-panel
door (now part-glazed) and the panels have reeded frames. Contemporary flat-roofed
open porch with clustered piers with square-cornered shafts and moulded entablature.
The original front passage doorway right of centre contains a late C17 studded plank
door with moulded coverstrips and strap hinges with fleur-de-lys finials. It has a
narrow overlight. Early C19 timber eaves cornice is moulded with a modillion
cornice. Roof is gable-ended. The rear has some C19 but mostly C20 casements
except for the hall, a late C17-early C18 3-light oak casement with flat-faced
mullions and shallow internal mouldings. The C19 and C20 extensions are gable-
ended.
On the right end of the main block, set back a little from the main front and under
a lower roof is the C19 outbuildings. Next to the house and now converted to
domestic use is a block whose original function is not clear, possibly a cider-house
since the fenestration suggests it was part-floored. A plain upright window at the
left end suggests that end was open. None of the windows are glazed. (They have
C20 glass behind). The ground floor window has a moulded oak C17 frame but the
mullions and iron bars between are C19. Directly above is a smaller oak 3-light
window, this one retaining its ovolo-moulded mullions. There is another plain C19
window to right of this. The doorway at the left end has an ovolo-moulded and
scroll-stopped lintel, a solid oak frame with chamfered surround and contains an old
plank door with strap hinges. The first floor is weatherboarded. The C17 features
here are of high quality and obviously derive from domestic rooms. It seems most
likely that they were reused here when replaced in the main house in the early C19.
At the right end a 4½-bay linhay projecting forwards at right angles (Alcock's type
T1 linhay).
Interior includes work from all the main building periods. The best features
however are the earliest. The large hall fireplace is mid C16. It is built of
Beerstone ashlar but the surround is somewhat mutilated. It has a massive stone
lintel. The ceiling is of the same date or a little later and probably inserted
into a previously open hall. 4-bay intersecting beam ceiling in which the main
beams are richly-moulded although the half beams simply have deep chamfers. In the
inner room no ceiling beam shows but the late C16 fireplace here is well-preserved.
It has Beerstone ashlar sides and a timber lintel believed to be chestnut, a
chamfered surround and worn stops. The service end room appears to have been
rebuilt as a kitchen probably in the late C17-early C18. The massive fireplace is
blocked and the crossbeam is of large scantling but square-cornered. Late C17-early
C18 back doorway contains a 2-panel door hung on H-L hinges. On the first floor
there is another similar door with fielded panels to the inner room chamber which
also includes 2 cupboards with contemporary panelled doors on H-hinges. The early
plaster is backed on water reed rather than wooden lathes. Roof was apparently
rebuilt at this time and 2 A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars remain.
The rest was replaced in the C19. The interior of the adjoining farmbuilding was
rebuilt circa 1970 and the roofspace here is inaccessible.
This is an attractive farmhouse with an interesting development. Other C16 and Cl7
features may be uncovered during renovation-work particularly in the crosswalls
either side of the original passage and at the upper end of the hall. It is,
moreover, picturesquely sited and groups with the late C17-early C18 forecourt wall
(q.v.) and contemporary pavilion (q.v.) in a very similar manner to nearby Elliots
Farm (q.v.).

Listing NGR: SY0792691126

External Links

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