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Summary

Low two storey barn that may have originally been constructed as a medieval longhouse with shippen. It was in use as a threshing barn by the latter part of the 17th century. Map and excavated evidence indicates that the building once extended further north, this part of the building being removed prior to 1886. Now house converted.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LONGHOUSE (Built, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))
• BARN (XVII - 1601 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

South West Heritage Trust, 1838-1848, Digitised Tithe Maps and Transcribed Apportionments (Cartographic). SDV359954.

Recorded as Higher Barn etc on the Halwell Tithe Apportionment (plot 115).

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

Barn shown with extension to north on slightly smaller plan.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Barn depicted. The northern end appears to have been demolished.

Waterhouse, R., 2004, Higher Barn, Collaton, near Halwell: An Archaeological Assessment (Report - Assessment). SDV352381.

The barn comprises a rectangular building aligned north-south with lean-tos along its eastern side facing a courtyard by the road. The 1839 Tithe map shows that the building was once longer than it is now and there were two other buildings in the immediate vicinity. At that time it was a separate holding to Collaton Farm.
Evidence from the building fabric together with historic map evidence shows that the barn is of several periods of construction and may have evolved from a longhouse of 15th-17th century date. The earliest identifiable fabric is the northern half of the west wall which is constructed of well-coursed slate rubble with occasional pieces of quartz and weathered granite. Pieces of granite rubble are unusual so far from Dartmoor and, where found, they tend to be 17th century or earlier in date and imply the onetime presence of a higher status building.
By the mid-late 17th century (Period 2) the building was converted to a single storey threshing barn. A large doorway survives on the east side of the building, protected by a pentice roof, and it presumably had an opposing doorway to create the draught for winnowing. In the early to mid 18th century (Period 3) the building ceased to be a threshing barn. Parts of the west and east walls were rebuilt, removing the threshing door on the west side. At some time prior to 1839 (Period 4) the lean-to shelters were added. The south end wall above first floor level was also probably rebuilt in stone at this time. Between the time of the Tithe Map and the First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1939-1884) (Period 5) the northern end of the building was removed and the division wall across the building built. The roof may also have been reconstructed at this time using sawn pine and incorporating some of the earlier trusses. Further alterations took place in the 20th century (Period 6). The steep pitch of the roof indicates that it was originally thatched but now covered by corrugated iron. See report for further details.

Wakeham, C., 2009, Upper Court Barn, Higher Collaton, Halwell: Results of Historic Building Recording and Archaeological Watching Brief (Report - Watching Brief). SDV360957.

Historic building recording and monitoring of groundworks was undertaken at Higher Court Barn in association with its conversion to residential use.
The barn is a low, two storey building aligned north-south. It is mainly built of coursed stone rubble with large areas of cob at first floor level. The roof is a modern replacement of corrugated metal sheets. It has a lean-to at the southern end of the east elevation and a sloping length of wall at the north end indicates the site of another lean-to. Internally the building has two sections and prior to conversion works surviving feed troughs and hayracks.
The present phase of recording concurred with an earlier assessment that the barn may have originally been constructed as a medieval longhouse with shippen and that it was used as a threshing barn by the latter part of the 17th century. The present works also confirmed that the building originally extended further to the north, stone footings and a foundation trench were recorded during groundworks. Map evidence shows that this part of the building was removed prior to 1886. An internal cobble surface was also revealed within this northern section and a flat slate slab in the eastern wall may indicate a threshold.
See report for full details.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Upper Court Barn marked.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6266 - Archaeological Appraisal of Higher Barn, Collaton Farm
• EDV7577 - Historic Building Recording and Archaeological Watching Brief at Upper Court Barn, Higher Collaton, Halwell (Ref: ACD91/2/0)

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