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Summary

Westcott farmhouse including a byre and linhay adjoining to east built in the 16th century with 17th, 18th and 19th century improvements, alterations and additions

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1251219: WESTCOTT FARMHOUSE INCLUDING BYRE AND LINHAY ADJOINING TO EAST

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS81SW/34/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMHOUSE (Built, XVI - 1501 AD to 1600 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 1985, Thelbridge, 175 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV338114.

Westcott farmhouse including byre and linhay adjoining to east. 16th century with 17th, 18th & 19th century improvements, alterations & additions. Cob on rubble footings is plastered to front, exposed to rear; rubble stacks most topped with 19th & 20th century brick; slate roof to main house. Long rambling building facing south. Much altered 3 room and through passage plan house with inner room towards left and late 18th/early 19th cnetury 2 room parlour extension on left end. 16th/17th century byre with hayloft adjoins on right end. Two storeys. Irregular frontage. Good interior of a house with a long and complex structural history. Roof structural features. See DoE list for full details.

Allum, C., 2007, Westcott Barton, Thelbridge, near Tiverton, Devon. An Archaeological Building Assessment (Report - Assessment). SDV346158.

Westcott Barton is an important example of a Devon farmstead with late medieval to early post-medieval origins. The farmhouse originates as a cross-passage house probably dating from the 16th century, consisting of a hall, with an inner room to the west and a cross-passage to the east. The service end to the east of the cross-passage is probably part of the original building, with a pegged jointed cruck roof, which is almost identical to that exposed above the first floor rooms over the hall and inner room. Whilst there are indications that the service end may be slightly later, the byre and hayloft is certainly ontemporary with it. The recently exposed roof trusses in the first floor rooms above the hall and inner room are heavily smoke blackened, indicating that smoke from a central hearth eddied without interruption. However, the farmhouse was most likely a partially open rather than a fully open hall, as there is a solid wall between the inner room and hall. The first floor and northern stair turret were probably added during the 17th century, although the inner room may have already had a first floor room, as this was not dependant upon the hearth being replaced by a chimney. This was above the eastern end of the hall. Later alterations include the construction of the brickbread oven and smoking chamber at the northern end of the cross-passage; the late 18th- or early 19th century western extension; and the 19th century dairy at the rear of the hall. In the late 19th century there were further significant alterations to the farmstead, including the raising of the eaves by several courses.
See report for full description.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1251219 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Wescott Farmhouse including byre and linhay adjoining to east. Farmhouse. C16 with C17, C18 and C19 improvements, alterations and additions. Cob on rubble footings is plastered to front, exposed to rear; rubble stacks most topped with C19 and C20 brick; slate roof to main house, corrugated iron to byre, linhay and dairy (all formerly thatched). Long rambling building facing south and built down a slope. Core of house is a much-altered 3-room-and-through-passage plan house with inner room towards left (west) and late C18-early C19 2-room parlour extension on left end. C16 or C17 byre with hayloft over adjoining right (east) end of service room, and C18 linhay offset back from main front on right end. C17 small dairy block at right angles to rear of hall. Projecting left (west) end stack to late C18- early C19 block, axial stack between extension and inner room, and large axial hall stack backing onto former passage. Rear of former passage now occupied by large oven and smoking chamber arrangement with its own chimney - probably C18. 2 storeys. Irregular frontage with varied fenestration. The roofline steps down 3 times breaking the front into 4 sections and is described from left to right. Late C18- early C19 extension at left (west) end has 2-window front of late C19 horned 16-pane sashes with a small 4-pane sash to stairhead. Left of centre is an irregular 3- window front to former inner room, hall and passage. Most here are late C19 casements with glazing bars. Inner room has late C19 French windows with margin panes of coloured glass behind C20 glass-roofed conservatory and a late C19 door with glazed panel including margin lights of coloured glass behind C20 gabled and corrugated iron roofed porch. Plain door to right is inserted to hall and window to right of this door blocks original front passage doorway. Third section right of centre includes service end and byre and has plain plank doors to each room and late C19 casement with glazing bars over service room and loading hatch to byre hayloft. Small implement shed on right end of byre. Right end section set back from main front is an 8-bay linhay with its roof hipped at the end. Hall stack has original rubble chimney shaft with dripcourse and coping. Rear elevation of exposed cob and rubble shows several rubble blockings and alterations to original house. Late C18- early C19 extension has rubble to first floor level with cob above. The few windows to rear are late C19-early C20 casements with glazing bars. Good interior of a house with long and complex structural history. Continuous roof over inner room, hall, passage, service room and byre comprising side-pegged jointed cruck trusses with trenched purlins and ridge. Roof space is inaccessible over hall and inner room and, therefore, evidence for early smoke-blackening cannot be ascertained. Also many early features in original house are hidden by later plaster. Hall has large stone rubble fireplace with plain-chamfered oak lintel. Crossbeams plastered over in C19. Inner room has late C17 plaster ceiling with moulded plaster cornice which is also carried around probably earlier cross beam. Inner room fireplace is blocked. Former passage blocked by brick and rubble oven and smoking chamber arrangement. Service room has C17 chamfered and straight cut stopped crossbeam and is separated from byre by blind cob crosswall. Byre has probably C17 massive plain-chamfered crossbeam. Jointed cruck roof to byre and framed division between first floor rooms over service room and byre suggest that service room and byre are contemporary. Late C18-early C19 extension refurbished in late C19 but has roof of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars. Open fronted linhay at right (east) end has massive oak posts resting on stone pads (Alcocks Type T1). Posts and hayloft beams appear earlier than late C18-early C19 A-frame roof trusses which have pegged lap-jointed collars. Right end bay has secondary front cob wall. Interesting unmodernised farmhouse.
Date first listed: 4th November 1985

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4964 - Building Appraisal

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