Hams Barton

Details

CHUDLEIGH SX 88 SE 1/12 Hams Barton 23.8.55

GV II*

Large house. Probably early C16 or earlier in origin, early C17 remodelling, late C19 alterations and extension. Local grey limestone rubble with a slate roof of very small slates, partly replaced with asbestos slates; left end stack to main range axial stack to solar wing, heating kitchen, lateral stack to solar wing heating solar, lateral stack to wing extension. A high status house, at one time the Manor House. The original plan was probably a courtyard arrangement with a south-facing 3 room and through passage range on the north side. This range consisted of an inner room at the left (now missing), an open hall with a stack at the higher end, a through passage and an unheated lower end room. The east range, at right angles to the lower end may have been an early C16 kitchen wing. Stone foundations indicate the position of the west range; the south range is now a single-storey farmbuilding. In the circa early C17 the house was remodelled. The east wing, which may originally have been single-storey, was recast as a ground floor kitchen with a massive gable end fireplace below a high quality solar with plasterwork dated 1621, and the armorial bearings of Bennett Hunt, Mayor of Exeter. The south range was also remodelled (not necessarily at the same date). The hall was floored, with a high status ceiling and first floor chambers were created with plank and muntin partition walls. A stair was inserted in the through passage and the former lower end room became 2 service rooms to the kitchen. At a later date, probably C18 or C19, an internal partition adjacent to the long front wall of the east wing created a service corridor which leads into a stair hall between the old kitchen and the service rooms at the lower end of the south range. There is an C18 or C19 1 room plan addition or rebuilding at the south end of the east wing. Some late C19 refenestration and late C20 renovations. 2 storeys. South Elevation; Hall Range. Asymmetrical 2 + 1 window front to the south elevation, with a 2-storey gabled porch to the right into the through passage, and the front wall of the hall to the left. The top storey of the porch is rendered with 2 small windows, one above the other, renewed in the C20. The porch shows evidence of rebuilding, behind the square-headed outer doorway is a second doorway with slightly curved Beerstone jambs with decayed bar stops and a moulded timber lintel with step stops. Behind this doorway the porch has stone rubble benches with timber seats and a deeply-splayed slit window. The front door, in a moulded granite Tudor arched doorway has 4 massive planks with studs and an old backplate. The south wall of the hall has 2 first floor and 2 ground floor 2-light granite mullioned windows (2 mullions missing) the first floor windows with chamfered architraves, the ground floor with moulded architraves. West Elevation; Solar Wing: Asymmetrical 2-window west elevation, the old kitchen and solar to the left and a probably C18 or C19 block to the right under a lower roofline. The walling at the junction indicates that the old solar wing formerly extended further to the right. C20 porch with lean-to roof at left end of lower block. The left hand block is gabled to the front in the centre with a C19 tripartite first floor sash and a 2-light granite mullioned ground floor window (mullion missing) with a hood-mould. The right hand block has a C19 tripartite first floor sash and a 2-light ground floor casement with small panes. East Elevation; Solar Wing and end of South Range: Asymmetrical 3 window east elevation. The gable end of the south range, to the right, has 2 ground floor 2- light granite mullioned windows, (one blocked with saddle bars and stanchions intact) and 1 ground floor and 2 first floor C19 sashes with brick, jambs. The solar, to the left, is gabled to the front at the right with a C19 sash window with a C17 timber hoodmould, 2 ground floor C19 tripartite sashes, 12-pane sash to lower block at left end. North Elevation; Hall Range: Asymmetrical 4-window north elevation, a farm building adjoins at the left end, 2-single storey C20 lean-tos in centre and to the right. Steps lead up to the granite arched chamfered through passage doorway at the left. 4 first floor 2-light granite mullioned windows (some mullions missing), 1 blocked with saddle bars and stanchions intact. Interior; Numerous high quality C16 and C17 features. Of the open hall phase 7 bays of arched brace roof trusses survive in the south range with 2 tiers of wind braces. The hall fireplace has a chamfered stopped granite lintel. A rounded doorway adjacent to the stack probably originally lead to a stair turret giving access to the first floor of the inner room. The hall has a blocked 2-light granite mullioned window on the rear wall; C20 renovations revealed painted plasterwork which is now concealed by the inserted early C17 ceiling which has a moulded cross beam and moulded stopped joists. The hall has been partly repartitioned but the plank and muntin screen to the passage is intact with chamfered muntins with step stops. The partition at the lower end of the passage has widely spaced muntins, with plaster between them. The stair in the passage consists of large baulks of timber with a post for a handrail. The kitchen has a massive fireplace with a granite lintel, the lintel truncated when the service corridor was inserted; chamfered cross beam with scroll stops. The lower end room of the south range has a cross beam with mortices for a partition that no longer exists. On the first floor above the lower end room moulded doorways with urn stops give access to the solar and the first floor rood in the lower end of the south range which appears to have been a parlour, with a blocked 2-light granite mullioned window on the rear wall. The foot of one truss, plastered over and moulded, suggests that there was originally an elaborate ceiling. The first floor chambers above the hall have plank and muntin partition walls. Most spectacular, however, is the solar, with a splendid enriched rib barrel vaulted ceiling with a decorated cornice and central pendant (Period Two, French). The chimneypiece on the long wall has a plaster overmantel with the arms of Bennett Hunt and a date of 1621. Plaster relief of Royal Arms on the end wall. The wall panelling was imported from elsewhere in the late C20. The original panelling may have been linenfold design: linenfold panelling was found re-used in the pig styes, one section was rescued and is re-sited in the stair. An important C16 and C17 house with a wealth of outstanding interior features.

Listing NGR: SX8797480285

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