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Summary

Otterton House, formerly Otterton Barton. Cruck trusses indicate building was originally large non domestic building (?barn) possibly associated with priory but could be later. Used as house by 17th century. Now largely 19th century building.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/39
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116632.

Otterton barton.

THEN USED AS A BARN, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116634.

Otterton house, formerly otterton barton. Appears largely early-mid 19c. Upper storey, however, contains 5 pairs of cruck trusses of impressively wide span, their tops sawn off just above floor-level in the roof-space. They have chamfered arch-braces to the collars and heavy tenoned windbraces. Their feet project from the bedroom walls, but are not visible on ground floor. One of the trusses is chamfered with a diagonal-cut stop just above first-floor level, suggesting that the crucks always stood on a thick wall corresponding to the existing ground storey. The trusses are clean, so this cannot have been a house in the middle ages, although a chamfered upper-floor beam in the ground floor suggests that it was so by 17c. An early 19c painting at otterton mill shows a house with mullioned windows (then used as a barn) immediately w of the church, and it is possible that this had been the farmhouse at one time.

NMR, CITING POLWHELE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116636.

Otterton barton is so named in a sale notice of 1777 where it is described as the capital barton and farm, being part of the demesne of otterton manor. Polwhele described the house and appurtenances of the manor as though the former was otterton barton but the manor house before this date, certainly from 1539, was the building now known as the priory - now divided into almshouses (nmr, citing polwhele).

NMR, CITING DOE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116637.

House, former farmhouse, probably monastic origins. Early 16c, radically refurbished and re-arranged c.1850. Interior is nearly all the result of 19c refurbishment. However, on the first floor and in the roof, there is evidence of the original house (this includes parts of stone rubble walls and a 5-bay roof of cruck trusses). Possibly the house was built originally as a barn belonging to the monastery which occupied the site of the adjacent churchyard before the dissolution.(for full details see list) (nmr, citing doe).

NMR, CITING ?OS, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV116638.

Vis=30/8/1989 (?os) the house is now split into 2 dwellings; "barton house" and "east barton" (nmr, citing ?os).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116639.

Osa=sy08ne13.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116640.

Des=laithwaite, j. M. W. /drhs/(1986)/in pf.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV116641.

Alcock, n. W. /tda/(1972)36-40;pl2/devonshire farm houses. Part iv.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Untitled Source (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV24.

Vis=10/7/1953(os) a cement-faced building with modern chimneys, windows and roof. There is no dateable evidence, though nothing that is visible appears earlier than 18th-19th century. It is of doubtful antiquity (os).

LAITHWAITE, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV8052.

It is tempting to think of this building as otterton priory's barn. It cannot be assumed, however, that the crucks pre-date the dissolution of the priory in 1414 (laithwaite).

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2022 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Otterton House, formerly Otterton Barton. Cruck trusses indicate building was originally large non domestic building (?barn) possibly associated with priory but could be later. Used as house by 17th century. Now largely 19th century building. Listed Grade II.
SMR.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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