Brightley Barton

Details

CHITTLEHAMPTON SS 62 SW

3/78 Brightley Barton

- 9.6.52 GV II House. Late C15 fabric to porch and inner doorway and possibly some stonework, all probably reused in early C17 rebuilding, with C19 alterations and additions. Dressed and coursed unrendered stone rubble. Slate roof with crested ridge tiles; hipped at left end, gable end to right. Brick stack to each gable end, lateral rear stone rubble stack enclosed by C19 rear wing and axial brick shaft to stack backing onto passage. Demolished lateral stack to outer face of wing at left end. Plan 2 rooms to left, single large room to right of through passage, with 2 adjoining gable-ended wings to rear left end, and added bay at right end extending forward as front wing, formerly cider house, now forming part of dwelling. Complex plan development obscured by later alterations. The original house stood on the moated site immediately to the west of the present house, so it is probable that the porch and inner doorways and possibly some of the stonework were reused in the late C16/early C17 rebuilding. The eaves have been heightened, the roof structure over the 2 left-hand rooms having been replaced in C18; the 4 trusses of early C17 date over the right-hand rooms are entirely clean. The left-hand room adjoining the passage is heated by the rear lateral stack, the fireplace originally having a bread oven, so that possibly this was the service end. The room at the left end clearly extended back into the outer rear gable ended wing, but this was heavily rebuilt when the adjoining rear wing was added on its inner side; this latter wing contains a servants staircase. The wide passage probably always contained the principal staircase, but this was replaced in C19. The large room to the right, was apparently originally divided into 2, the axial stack backing onto the passage heating the former left-hand room, the fireplace now concealed, and the gable end stack, the right-hand room. Intersecting ceiling beams with moulded plasterwork decoration are confined to the former left-hand room. The added bay of 1 room plan and the front cider house wing are probably of C17 date, but heavily rebuilt in C19 and converted to form part of dwelling in late C20. 2 storeys. Virtually symmetrical 5-window range, the 2 outer windows on each floor of C19 3-light casements, 3 panes per light, except for the 2 ground floor left-hand windows which are cavetto stone mullions of 3 lights with cavetto moulded ashlar surrounds. Additionally, there is a C19 casement of 2 lights, 3 panes per light, just to left and above the entrance porch. All upper floor windows have slightly cambered dressed stone lintels. Ground floor right-hand windows have timber lintels. Entrance porch of stone rubble with gabled slate roof with shaped bargeboards. Ashlar heraldic crest of Gifford family above C15 semi-circular stone arched doorway with ogee-hollow moulded surround and hoodmould with foliate label stops. Narrower inner door, similarly moulded with C18 semi-circular headed timber door which has raised and fielded panels to inner face, and cover strips to outer face forming 12 panels. Set back buttresses to left end of main range. Cider-house wing has 3-window range. C20 fenestration. Pigeon holes to front gable end. Interior. Joinery entirely replaced in C19. Room to left of passage has roughly dressed stone arch instead of more usual timber lintel to fireplace. Chamfered cross ceiling beams, with undressed stone corbel to rear wall supporting right-hand beam. Room to right has partially panelled ceiling with intersecting ceiling beams forming 4 fields, the beams with moulded plaster decoration with central Tudor rose to the soffit at the intersection and 3 paterae to soffit of each beam. Roof structure. 5 probably C18 pegged trusses with straight principals and staggered butt purlins over main range to left of axial stack. 4 late C16 or early C17 trusses over right-hand side of main range, closely spaced (circa 2.5 metres apart) with heavy principals, the feet cut away, carrying 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin and with morticed and tenoned cambered collars. Mortices to the upper sides to take joists indicate that the chamber ceilings have been considerably lowered. The cider house retains its massive C18 cider presses with wooden screw. On the press is inscribed 'Brightly Barton was repainted 1895, Greenslade and Westacott'.

Listing NGR: SS6131622714

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

443218

Legacy System:

LBS

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