Hawkridge Barton

Details

CHITTLEHAMPTON SS 62 NW

1/94 Hawkridge Barton - 9.6.52 - II* Barton farmhouse. Probably late C15, remodelled probably in late C16 extended in early C17, with some C19 internal alterations. Painted rendered stone rubble and cob, unrendered rear and gable ends. Thatch roof with plain ridge and gable ends. Stone rubble stacks at each end, taller to left, inner room end, both with tapered caps and drips. Tall front lateral stone rubble hall stack with tapered cap and drip, with short front buttress added in mid C20. Plan. 3-room and through-passage plan, with gable-ended wing to rear of hall and dairy wing with leanto roof to front lower end. Interesting plan development. Hall and wide through-passage to right originally open to the roof, the passage ceiled first and apparently originally jettied into the hall. All ground floor evidence of the jetty was removed when the hall proper was floored over with a fine panelled ceiling. A rear stair turret was added towards the upper end of the hall, in the angle of the rear wing which was built at the same time and in use as a cider house within living memory, now converted into part of dwelling. The stack at its gable end, suggests however that it originally may have been for domestic use. Massive solid cob wall between hall and inner room rises to apex of the roof: as the roof space over the inner room is inaccessible it is not possible to tell whether the upper end is an addition; the plasterwork overmantel to the inner room fireplace commemorating a marriage in 1615 indicates it was certainly built by the early C17. There is also a massive cob wall partition rising similarly to the apex of the roof on the lower side of the through-passage, and a straight joint to the rear wall and the interior detail indicates the lower end was entirely rebuilt (or possibly added?) in the early C17. A winder staircase is housed in the front upper end corner beside the doorway through to the passage. Dairy wing also apparently C17 extends at right angles to front of lower end. In C19, the house was refenestrated and the majority of doors replaced. The hall staircase was replaced with a dog-leg staircase, a new door being formed towards the centre of the rear wall of the hall, the original turret becoming a small storage room. 2 storeys. 3-window range. C19 fenestration complete with 2-light casements 6 panes per light to upper storey. 3-light casement to inner room, 4-light to hall, both 8 panes per light. Late C19 4-panelled door, upper panels glazed, to front through-passage doorway. Dairy on courtyard side has a casement of 3 leaded lights above a small 2-light window. C17 weathered door surround to inner face of rear wing. Interior. Chamfered timber lintel to lower end kitchen fireplace with bread oven. C17 ovolo-moulded doorframe with ornate carved stops to winder staircase, with doorway at head to chamber over dairy with depressed 4-centred arched chamfered surround. C17 straight headed doorway with chamfered surround between through- passage and lower end. Hall has fine panelled ceiling of 6 fields with chamfered beams with hollow step stops at each intersection. Hall fireplace rebuilt in C20, but original lintel may survive. Inner room has fine plasterwork overmantel with central arms of Acland impaling Tremayne, recording marriage of Baldwin Acland with Elizabeth Tremayne in 1615. Strapwork cartouche with small heads probably of Cain and Abel to each side flanked by foliage and figures of Adam and Eve, with the serpent above. Single axial chamfered ceiling beam hacked to take plaster. Good quality C19 6-panelled doors and doorcases. Rear wing has 3 chamfered cross beams and single bressumer with hollow step stops. C17 chamfered straight-headed doorway to one of the chambers over the rear wing and C18 raised and fielded 2-panelled door to the other. Small 4-paned window with ovolo-moulded surround inserted in large opening opposite the former. C17 staircase leads to attic over rear wing. Roof: Rear wing has single C17 truss with 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin, straight principals and typical C17 dovetail style collar. Inner end roofspace not accessible. Single raised cruck truss over lower end of hall with 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin, and steeply cranked morticed and tenoned collar. The entire roof structure over the hall including battens, rafters and underside of thatch, is heavily smoke-blackened; the hall truss is closed on its lower side with a clay daub and stud partition, which is heavily smoke-blackened on the hall side only. The roof structure over the passage is less heavily smoke- blackened; but a curious feature is a distinct break in the degree of smoke- blackening about 1/2 metre to the lower side of the stud partition, a row of early blacksmiths nails evenly spaced around the rafters suggesting either that the closed partition may have been moved forward slightly to butt up against the hall truss at a later date, or that they represent an earlier curtain arrangement for controlling smoke permeating from the hall into the jettied chamber. The lower end has a single C17 truss with straight heavy principals, no collar and 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin. Hawkridge came to the Aclands of Acland, Landkey by the marriage of John Akelin with Alicia, daughter and heiress of William Hawkridge of Hawkridge circa 1350. The Aclands do not appear to have resided at Hawkridge until about 1560, whence it remained in their occupation apparently for 4 generations.

Listing NGR: SS6115625588

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

443235

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.