See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A former manor house which is largely late 16th-early 17th century in origin, although parts may date from the 16th century or earlier. Hayes Barton was originally called Poerhayes after the le Poer family and then Dukeshayes after the latter family acquired the estate through marriage. The property was leased to the Raleigh family in the 16th century and was the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh. He tried to buy the estate from the Duke family but was unsuccessful and it passed to the Rolle family in the later 18th century. It has been known as Hayes Barton since then.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1334014: HAYES BARTON INCLUDING GARDEN WALLS ADJOINING TO THE SOUTH EAST

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SY 08 NE 14
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 86270
• Pastscape: 448531
• Tide Project: 21/01/2022

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Built, XVI to XVII - 1501 AD (Between) to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, 3116Z/34/3 (Record Office Collection). SDV115763.

Lysons, D. + Lysons, S., 1822, Magna Britannica, 87 (Monograph). SDV323771.

Brushfield, T. N., 1889, The birthplace of Sir Walter Ralegh., 312-30 (Article in Serial). SDV115748.

Hayes Barton. The house consists of a central portion with two wings standing out at right angles to it in front. It has a projecting central porch with a small room over it. The two wings are gabled, there is a small gable over the porch, and two dormer ones over the windows on either side of it. The windows are modern, formed of two or three lattice lights separated by narrow wooden mullions. The window over the porch and the one in the dairy are probably original; they have three and four lights respectively. The mullions have beaded mouldings, and a broad frame surrounds the whole of the window opening. The frames are of oak, as is the entrance door which has original hinges and fastenings. The walls are of cob on stone foundations. There are stone chimney-stacks, all on outside walls. The quoins are of ashlar work of red sandstone, and the remaining portions are of rubble. One end wall and the chimney of the east wing were rebuilt in 1862. A stone in the chimney at the west end of the north side, just below the line of the roof, is inscribed 'R D 1627'. R D stands for Richard Duke, and the date probably records the restoration of the upper part of the wall, and perhaps of general repairs. It is a small but good farmhouse of the late Tudor period. It is little altered in plan. The central portion was probably the hall. Visited 1888.

Brushfield, T. N., 1890, Notes on the Parish of East Budleigh, 288 (Article in Serial). SDV115749.

Over the porch of the manor house at Otterton, formerly occupied by the Duke family, is preserved the coat of arms sculptured in stone, containing the arms of Duke and le Poer quartered. At first the house was named Poerhayes, Poer's Hayes, or Power's Hayes (Heys). It became Dukeshayes after the marriage with the heiress of the le Poer family. This name was disused when it passed into the hands of the Rolle family in the latter part of the 18th century. Since then it has been known as Hayes, or Hayes Barton. Visited in 1889.

Reichel, O. J., 1901, The Devonshire Domesday. Part VI, 603 (Article in Serial). SDV115753.

Poer Hayes is noted as a Domesday settlement

Chope, R. P., 1927, Proceedings at the Annual Meeting, 27 (Article in Serial). SDV115765.

Watkin, H. R., 1928-1929, Birthplace of Raleigh, 174-5 (Article in Serial). SDV115754.

Author expresses doubt that present building has been in existence at Raleigh's time (Chope, 1927 & 1928-1929). Evidence is given to suggest that the original house was built in 1528, thoroughly repaired in 1627, and again in 1862.

Chope, R. P., 1928-1929, Untitled Source, 113 (Article in Serial). SDV115767.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 583 (Monograph). SDV1312.

Documented in 1281,1360 and 1378.

M H L G, 1949, Hayes Barton (Personal Comment). SDV115750.

Sixteenth century. Two storey, two wings, two storey porch. Five gables. Fine stone chimney. Inside are fine beams, carved principal rafters. Through passage. Raleigh relics within house.

Department of Environment, 1950s, St Thomas RD, 53 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV115769.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon (Monograph). SDV336217.

This is the 16th century birth-place of Sir Walter Raleigh and the site of the chapel of St James. Raleigh, born in 1552, tried to buy Hayes Barton in 1584. The house was probably built in 1528 on the marriage of Raleigh's father. It is built in the normal E-shape. The original thatched house has been altered in its windows, and has been plastered.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SY08NE14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV115752.

Hayes Barton is now a farm, well-preserved, with modern brick chimneys and modern windows. No information was obtained on the chapel which formerly existed at this house. There is an architectural drawing of Hayes Barton among the drawings of a. W Everett in Devon Record Office. Photograph.

1963, Proceedings at the 101st annual meeting, 20-1 (Article in Serial). SDV115766.

Alcock, N. W., 1981, Cruck Construction: An Introduction and Catalogue, 110 (Report - non-specific). SDV342504.

Jointed cruck and possible cruck recorded.

Fisher, J., 1999, East Devon Conservation Area Appraisals: East Budleigh, 9 (Report - non-specific). SDV346582.

Hayes Barton, now a farmhouse, is a good example of a Tudor building.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, 7, Part 1 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1946 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Hayes Barton, formerly Poerhayes, associated with the Le Poer family. Hayes was a Domesday settlement. 16th century house and site of Chapel of St James. Listed Grade II. Also 17th century brick barn Listed Grade II.
SMR.

National Monuments Record, 2005, 448531 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV115757.

Farmhouse and Mill (birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh). Formerly a manor house with its own chapel which belonged to the Daens of Exeter before the Reformation.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

English Heritage, 2014, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV355683.

Farmhouse, former manor house and C16 home of Raleigh family. Parts may be C16 or earlier but house appears largely late C16-early C17, possibly associated with date stone of 1627, modernised in late C19. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; stone rubble stacks, most with limestone ashlar quoins, and all topped with late C19 brick; thatch roof. E-plan house facing south-east. The main block has a 4-room plan, 2 main rooms and a small unheated lobby each end. There is a central through passage with front 2- storey porch. The main rooms each side of the passage both have projecting rear lateral stacks; the 1 to right (north-east) is a service room, the 1 to the left is the hall. The present main stair in the inner room is C19 but may be a replacement of the original. 1-room parlour crosswing projecting at right angles to front of inner room and has a projecting lateral stack on the outer side. The kitchen crosswing projecting forward from the other end has a front gable-end stack. The wing overlaps the right end a short distance. The front wall is canted across the corners in the angles between the main block and crosswings. 2 storeys throughout. The front would be symmetrical if the front end of the kitchen crosswing contained windows. 1 window to the porch, 1 more each floor either side to the main block, another in the angles, on the inner side of each crosswing and the end of the parlour crosswing. The only early C17 window is that to the room over the porch. It has a 3-light oak frame with ovolo-moulded mullions. The rest are C19 and C20 replacement casements. All contain leaded glass with intersecting Y-tracery along the top and the first floor window of the parlour crosswing contains the Raleigh arms in stained glass. The gable end of the porch has early C17 oak bargeboards with billet enrichment and apex pendant. The main block window either side also have gables over with similar bargeboards and pendants. The outer arch of the porch appears to be largely a C19 rebuild. The cranked head piece maybe C17 but the chamfered and step-stopped posts are C19. There is a soffit-moulded bressumer to the first floor. Inside the porch there are wooden benches. C17 doorframe and door. The oak doorframe has a moulded surround with urn-scroll stops and large studded plank door with plain strap hinges. All roofs are gable-ended. The rear elevation is less regular than the front although here some windows are blocked. The hall window has leaded glass like those on the front, the others have glazing bars and an unglazed larder window at the left end (2 more on the end wall). Rear passage door behind a C20 brick and slate-roofed porch. The 2 rear stacks and the parlour stack are all similar. They are built of local conglomerate sandstone rubble with Beerstone ashlar quoins and chamfered plinth. The hall retains its original double chimney shaft which includes a Beerstone plaque inscribed with Richard Duke's initials and the date 1627. Interior is largely the result of C19 and C20 modernisations but these seem to have been superficial. Where earlier features are exposed they are consistently late C16-early C17. In the service room to right of the passage the crossbeam is boxed in and the fireplace may be reduced in size. It is built of stone rubble with a slightly cambered soffit-chamfered oak lintel. The hall has a replacement crossbeam but the C17 fireplace is exposed; it is Beerstone ashlar with a chamfered surround, the lintel includes a number of early graffiti. No carpentry detail shows in either wing below the roof. The parlour fireplace is blocked and the kitchen fireplace is built of C19 brick. No early fireplaces are exposed on the first floor. The roof is late C16-early c17. The trusses are plastered over but their shape suggest jointed crucks. In the roofspace the trusses are clean and the construction of the late C16-early C17 oak-framed crosswalls is exposed; close-set studs with lathes set in individual holes to provide a ladder backing for cob infill. Hayes Barton is an important house for its historical connection with the Raleigh family. Originally called Poerhayes or Powerhayes after the Poer family it was owned by the Duke family by the C16. A lease of 1525 between John Duke and Henry Kenwood excluded a chapel, no trace of which survives today. In 1551 the property was leased to Walter Raleigh senior but by then there was no mention of a chapel. It seems likely that the eldest of Walter Raleigh's sons, George, lived here until his death in 1597. Walter the younger (later Sir Walter) tried unsuccessfully to buy the place from the Dukes mentioning that it was where he was born. It remained with the Dukes and eventually became part of the Rolle estate. By tradition the chamber over the parlour is the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh. However the whole house appears to be the result of a major refurbishment if not rebuilding of the late C16-early C17, possibly 1627. It is nevertheless still an interesting building of some quality. Source: private correspondence with Professor Joyce Youings of Exeter University Department of History and Archaeology.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.