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Summary

Two storey, stone built cider house which appears to have been purpose built. Now house converted, it retains the cider press inside.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86SE/78
• Pastscape: 905885
• Torbay HER: MTO42297

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CIDER HOUSE (Built, XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Newton, P.H. + Page, R. + Constable, M., 1988, A Survey of the Cider Barn and Press at Blagdon House Farm, near Paignton, Devon (Report - Survey). SDV362476.

A survey of the barn was undertaken by members of the Buildings Section of the Devonshire Association in 1988. The barn is the subject of a planning application for conversion but conditions are to be imposed that will preserve the cider press. The description is that subsequently published in the Transactions (see SDV362475).

Newton, P.H., 1991, Blagdon Cider Barn, Paignton, 203-211 (Article in Serial). SDV362475.

The building, which corresponds with one of the group of buildings shown on the Tithe Map, appears to have been purpose-built for making cider. It is a gable-ended, two storey building, constructed of rubble stone, 13m by 6m, now with a corrugated iron roof. The roof is supported onsix, probably original, collar tie oak roof trusses. There is a projecting porch with double doors to south. The east end is abutted by a single storey building of similar construction, with a blocked doorway in the party wall. The north side of the building opens onto walled yard through double door.
The ground floor is cobbled with clear evidence of a circular pony track under the apple loft, at the centre of which is the boss that formerly carried the lower end of the capstan post. There is a corresponding boss fixed to the underside of the loft floor.
The floor of the apple loft is planked over roughly hewn beams and joists. Along the open (east) end of the floor is a balustrade. In the north-east corner is a hatch through which apples were fed to the mill. The existing mill is of cast iron and tractor powered, but there was probably an earlier, stone roller mill, driven by the capstan. However, the owner, who has lived there since 1917, remembers only the existing mill. Below the mill is a brick trough, cement rendered, and shaped to allow the pony to walk round the capstan. A chute below the mill fed crushed apples into the trough.
Alongside the trough is the press. It has timber platens. The lower one has a low kerb with a projecting spout over a recess in the floor which held a vat to catch the cider. The upper platen is supported below a massive timber cross-head on two vertical stanchions. The upper platen is lowered by turning a handwheel to press the juice out of the ‘cheese’ made up on the lower platen. The handwheel is augmented by a long steel bar which was placed into slots in the mechanism to enable additional leverage to be applied. In addition, there is also a capstan turned by wooden levers, which has with a chain wound around it which could be attached to the bar to apply increased tension.
See article for full details. The article also includes a description of the cider making process by the owner. Cider making was carried out here until about 1976.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Marked as The Poundhouse.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1207456 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

The Pound House (Formerly Listed as: BLAGDON ROAD, Blagdon Outbuilding to Middle Blagdon Cottages). Formerly listed as an outbuilding. A cider house, now converted to a house. C18, converted 1980s. Slatestone rubble with slate roof and inserted stone stack. 2 storeys, of bank barn type with entry to upper level from hip-roofed porch which adjoins slate pentice over ground-floor windows and door. 1980s doors and windows, mostly in original openings. Extended, making extensive re-use of old features from other buildings: 2-light timber mullioned window from Exmoor; C16 granite chamfered doorway; C17 plank door.
INTERIOR also full of re-cycled features, including roof trusses and a plank and muntin screen. The cider press has been preserved inside.
Group value with Middle Blagdon Cottage
Date first listed: 10th January 1975. Date of most recent amendment: 24th October 1993

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7797 - Architectural Survey of the Cider Barn at Blagdon, Paignton

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