Courtyard Wall Immediately to West of Blegberry Farmhouse and Extending Approximately 50 Metres to the South

COURTYARD WALL IMMEDIATELY TO WEST OF BLEGBERRY FARMHOUSE AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 50 METRES TO THE SOUTH

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1165704
Date first listed:
20-Feb-1958
List Entry Name:
Courtyard Wall Immediately to West of Blegberry Farmhouse and Extending Approximately 50 Metres to the South
Statutory Address:
COURTYARD WALL IMMEDIATELY TO WEST OF BLEGBERRY FARMHOUSE AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 50 METRES TO THE SOUTH

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1165704
Date first listed:
20-Feb-1958
List Entry Name:
Courtyard Wall Immediately to West of Blegberry Farmhouse and Extending Approximately 50 Metres to the South
Statutory Address 1:
COURTYARD WALL IMMEDIATELY TO WEST OF BLEGBERRY FARMHOUSE AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 50 METRES TO THE SOUTH

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
COURTYARD WALL IMMEDIATELY TO WEST OF BLEGBERRY FARMHOUSE AND EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 50 METRES TO THE SOUTH

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Devon
District:
Torridge (District Authority)
Parish:
Hartland
National Grid Reference:
SS 23192 26135

Details

HARTLAND SS 22 NW

1/118 Courtyard wall immediately to west 20.2.58 of Blegberry Farmhouse and extending approximately 50 metres to the south

GV II*

Courtyard wall to farmhouse, incorporating ramparts and platform and extending to the south parallel to the coastline. Dated 1606. Battered rubble walls with shaped stone coping and dripcourse. The wall forms a defensive courtyard on the south- western side of the house looking out to sea, curving around a corner at its south- western extreme containing on the inside stone steps and a little rectangular projection. At its northern end is a date-stone of 1606 with the initials "WA" signifying William Atkyns who died in 1608. The pistol loops have wide internal splays. At the south-eastern corner of the courtyard wall is a simple doorway with rough stone lintel. At the northern end the wall incorporates a probably inserted stone outbuilding of one storey with stone steps up to a central doorway and small window to either side. To the south the wall continues beyond the house parallel to a cart track for approximately 50 metres and then returns to the east with a noticeable batter at the corner. This is an extremely unusual and very well-preserved example of a C17 defensive wall to a coastal farmstead of which no other such type is known in Devon. The north coasts of Devon and Cornwall were a well-known haunt of maranding pirates in Tudor and Elizabethan times. In 1608 a commission was issued to the Earl of Bath, who took the deposition of 3 persons of Barnstaple to the effect that the merchants were daily robbed at sea by pirates who took refuge at Lundy. Sources: Studies in Building History: Cornish Houses 1400 - 1700 - E.M. Jope, The Book of Hartland - R. Pearse Chope. The Pirates' Den - Notes of the Past: R Pearse Chope - Hartland Chronicle June 1906

Listing NGR: SS2319226135

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
91185
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Jope, E M, Studies in Building History Cornish Houses 1400-1700, (1961)
Pearse Chope, R, The Book of Hartland, ()
Hartland Chronicle in June, (1906)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Courtyard Wall Immediately to West of Blegberry Farmhouse and Extending Approximately 50 Metres to the South

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 24-Jun-2026 at 02:48:53.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

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.

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