Crapstone Barton, Including Garden Wall and Gate Piers Immediately to West of House

Details

BUCKLAND MONACHORUM BUCKLAND MONACHORUM SX 46 NE 3/54 Crapstone Barton, including garden wall and gate piers immediately to 21.3.67 west of house

GV II*

Farmhouse, formerly small manor house. Probably C16 origins but much altered in C17 with some internal modifications in C18, extended in C19. Stone rubble walls, rendered at the front, with granite dressings. Hipped asbestos slate roof with sprocketted eaves. Towards left-hand end is small rubble stack with moulded granite cap, probably early C17. Very large rendered rubble lateral stack at rear of right-hand end. At the left-hand end is a C17 rubble stack with a splayed and moulded rim. Complex development of plan, the original layout of which is not entirely clear. Documentary evidence suggests that a house existed here in the later C16 but was practically rebuilt by the Crymes family in the early-mid C17. What remains of this house is a very large hall to the right heated by a rear lateral stack. To its left is a through passage the lower left side of which is a lobby with a staircase behind then a smaller room, probably parlour. At the far left is a small unheated service room. The 2-storeyed porch at the front of the passage was added in approximately the mid C17. The most puzzling aspect of the plan is that the left- hand wall of the passage is very thick and extends up to the roof with the rooms to its left narrower than the deeper hall to its right. This suggests that it was originally an outside wall but it is very difficult to ascertain which part of the house is the earlier and what its original plan was. Quite possibly the C17 rebuilding was done in stages and this division represents one of the later stages although the similarity in roof structures of both parts suggests they cannot be far apart in date. For its large scale, the building is surprisingly small and none of the rooms show evidence of having been a kitchen, so it seems likely that the house was once considerably larger probably with at least one wing. In the early C18 a new staircase was inserted to the left of the passage although the evidence of mullion windows suggests that there had formerly been a stair there. At this stage the room to its left was panelled and, if it had been used for service purposes before, was converted to a parlour. This panelling was removed earlier in the C20. In the early-mid C19 a parallel block 1-room deep was added along the rear of the house. Possibly at this stage the C17 building was reduced to its present size. 2 storeys with attic. Asymmetrical 5-window front with 2-storeyed porch to right of centre. To the far left on the first floor is an early C19 12-pane hornless sash with a 2-light chamfered granite mullion window below it. To the right of the porch on each floor is a 2-light chamfered granite mullion window below it. To the left of the porch on each floor is a 2-light chamfered granite mullion window. The hipped porch has a round-headed granite arch with roll moulding and chamfered surround. The spandrels are outlined but not decorated. Blocked window opening above. The front doorway is granite and segmental headed with roll moulding and a probably C20 plank door. In either side of the porch is a stone seat. To the right of the porch the windows are 4-light chamfered granite mullions; on both floors the right-hand windows are blocked, the left-hand ones have had late C20 uPVC windows inserted in the lights. At the rear the C19 addition completely obscures the original rear wall. Interior retains a number of good quality features. The hall fireplace has moulded granite jambs and an oven in each side. The lintel is either obscure or has been removed. Above is a small plaque of moulded plasterwork with the Crymes and Drake arms below the date 1646. The room to the left of the passage has an early C18 shouldered wooden architrave and 2-panel door with bolection moulding and fielded panels. The staircase adjoining this room is contemporary and is a straight run with closed string, heavy turned newel and similar balusters and a moulded handrail. At the top of the stairs is a C17 wooden chamfered doorframe which is stopped on the right-hand jamb higher up to fit the stair handrail. It retains its original studded plank door. These stairs continue up to the attic and 2 mullion windows originally lit the stairwell but were blocked when the rear addition was built on. The room over the porch has a segmental-headed chamfered granite doorway with C17 plank door. It is heated by a small granite framed fireplace with moulded corbel stones and chamfered lintel and jambs. On the second floor there is another granite framed C17 fireplace at the left gable end. An unusual feature is the chamfered granite 4-centred arched doorway with leads from one part of the roof space to the other through the thick wall. Both roof-structures are C17 but of slightly different forms. Each part has substantial principals with straight feet, trenched and threaded purlins and morticed apex, in the left-hand part, however, the collars are cranked and halved onto the trusses and in the right-hand part (where the roof has a slightly lower pitch) the collars are cambered and set into the trusses. Pole states in his book on Devon that "after the dissolution, Crymes of London purchased the manor (of Buckland) and builded for himself a dwelling house upon the same". In the Devon Hearth Tax of 1674 Ellis Crymes is recorded as having 17 fireplaces which further suggests that the house must have been considerably larger. The building's former status is reflected in the quality of some of the internal features and in its impressive facade. To include rubble garden wall to the front of the house with tall squared piers opposite the porch. Sources: West Country Studies Library - Devon Hearth Tax "Buckland Monachorum" - Alice Bere. Further documentary references to the Cymes exist in the D.R.O.

Listing NGR: SX4908867966

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

92654

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Bere, A, Devon Hearth Tax in Buckland Monachorum, ()

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.