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Summary

Open-fronted 7-bay range with circular stone rubble piers supporting the roof and tallet floor, now ruinous. In front of the building is a large yard or pound with a semi-circular wall. Within this yard was formerly a large double linhay. Both buildings are shown on the Tithe Map of circa 1840.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1107119: LINHAY AND ADJOINING FOLD YARD WALLS 1.14 KILOMETRES NORTH NORTH-WEST OF THE GREAT SLUICE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS43NE/21
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 98300

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LINHAY (Built, XIX - 1811 AD to 1840 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Long, narrow building with large yard depicted. Within the yard is a large rectangular building. Recorded on the Apportionment as Linhay & Enclosures (536) in the occupation of James Martin.

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

Two buildings marked. The linhay is shown as an open-fronted building on the southern side of the yard. Within the yard is a larger rectangular building which appears to be divided into four, open-sided sections, facing north, south, east and west.

Ordnance Survey, 1905, 8SE (Cartographic). SDV17296.

Alcock, N. W., 1963, Devonshire Linhays: A Vernacular Tradition, 122, 127, Plate 3, Fig. 2 (Article in Serial). SDV274690.

Linhay of type S1, a fine example with six stone pillars. Beside it is an unlofted building with stone pillars along both sides and a wall down the spine. The two are enclosed by a wall and are at least a mile from the nearest farm.

Turpin, J. W., 1982, Braunton Great Field and Marshes, 8 (Report - non-specific). SDV341027.

Erected following reclamation of the marshes, linhays provided shelter for stock, and contribute to the character of the area.

Dennis, A. J., 1983, Braunton Marshes Linhay Survey (Archive - Survey). SDV341136.

Linhay 24. 1.7 metres high by 12.7 metres wide by 13.1 metres long. Open sided, with a round pound. Fallen down. Annotated survey drawing shows roofless, 7 bay, open-fronted building with stone pillars supporting the upper floor at the front. In front of the buildng is a large, semi-circular walled yard with three gateways, that in the east side leading directly to a bridge over a drain. Within the yard are the remains of a stone pillar and a short length of wall. Shown on Tithe Map.

Department of Environment, 1985, Braunton, 25 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV73918.

Linhay and adjoining fold yard walls. Circa 1815 to 1820. Shale rubble with thin course of cob below eaves. Now roofless but originally thatched roof. Long open-fronted 7-bay range with circular stone rubble piers to support roof and tallet floor. Only the beams of the tallet floor survive. Two shallow buttresses on rear wall. Large fold yard in front with semi-circular front wall, partly open on east side with pier to gateway. Also stone rubble and with upright stone capping and buttresses at widely spaced intervals on outside. Within the fold yard there was originally another open-fronted building, but only 2 short sections of wall and base of circular pier survive. This linhay is one of many on Braunton Marsh and served as a shelter and fodder store for cattle. It is the only true linhay on the Marsh, the others are more strictly cattle shelters.

Griffith, F. M., 1988, DAP/JL, 1, 2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV18770.

Timms, S. C., 1989, Braunton Marsh Linhay (Personal Comment). SDV341133.

This linhay is one of an interesting group of agricultural buildings on Braunton Marsh which was reclaimed in 1811-1815. This one is shown on the Braunton tithe map of circa 1840, and there is more historical information on it in Braunton Museum.

Manning, C., 2007, Braunton Marsh Management Study 2007, 8, 23 (Report - non-specific). SDV341104.

The Marsh linhays are intrinsically associated with the traditional cattle farming of the area, and their construction is believed to have started almost immediately after the initial enclosure was completed. Almost all linhays appear to have been built by the time of the 1842 tithe map of Braunton Parish. Linhays are 2 storey, open-sided cattle shelters, with a talet which was used to store feed. This study has produced a photographic inventory of the current condition of the Marsh linhays, together with any known sites of linhays which have now been lost forever.

Wessex Archaeology, 2007, RMB Chivenor Flood Defence Scheme Barnstaple, Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment, 10 (WA24) (Report - Assessment). SDV342125.

Collings, A. G. + Manning, P. T. + Valentin, J., 2007, The North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Phase 1. Archaeological Survey. Summary Report, Survey No. 1006 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

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

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

Linhay and adjoining fold yard walls 110 (sic) metres north-north-west of the Great Sluice. Linhay and adjoining fold yard walls. Circa 1815 to 1820. Shale rubble with thin course of cob below eaves. Now roofless but originally thatched roof. Long open- fronted 7-bay range with circular stone rubble piers to support roof and tallet floor. Only the beams of the tallet floor survive. 2 shallow buttresses on rear wall. Large fold yard in front with semi-circular front wall, partly open on east side with pier to gateway. Also stone rubble and with upright stone capping and buttresses at widely spaced intervals on outside. Within the fold yard there was originally another open-fronted building, but only 2 short sections of wall and base of circular pier survive. This linhay is one of many on Braunton Marsh and served as a shelter and folder store for cattle. It is the only true linhay on the Marsh, the others are more strictly cattle shelters. Braunton Marsh was probably reclaimed in the Middle Ages from tidal waters of the River Taw, but from 1811-15 the marsh was more extensively drained after authorization by Act of Parliament (1811) as a result of the endeavours of the Lords of the Manors of Braunton Gorges, Braunton Abbotts, Braunton Arundel and Saunton and others who had grazing rights on the marshes. They sought to enclose Braunton Marsh which was regularly flooded by tidal water. 949 acres were reclaimed. John Pascoe was the surveyor and James Green (County Surveyor) the engineer. The adjacent Horsey Island to the south east was reclaimed between 1852- 1857. Historically these late enclosures are particularly interesting in Braunton where the Great Field immediately north of the marsh is one of only 3 open field systems to survive in England. Although today (1984) there are only 5 farmers on the Great Field their holdings are still widely dispersed over the field as they were in the Middle Ages when there were about 100 farmers.

Historic England, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV358087.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 16/07/2015.
Linhay and adjoining fold yard walls 1.14 kilometres north north-west of The Great Sluice. Formerly listed as Linhay and adjoining fold yard walls 110 metres north north-west of The Great Sluice.

Alcock, N. W., c. 1960, Type S1 Linhay (Ground Photograph). SDV357362.

Series of photos showing a long, open-fronted linhay,with circular stone-built pillars supporting the tallet floor and roof at the front. The roof is thatched; the photos show that part of the thatch has gone. In front of this linhay are the remains of a double, open-fronted, single storey linhay with similar rows of stone-built pillars supporting the gable-ended roof and a central dividing wall. Only part of the roof structure survived at the time the photos were taken, showing it to have been covered with double roman tiles.

Dennis, A. J., May 1983, Linhay 24 (Ground Photograph). SDV357363.

Photos showing roofless linhay, the curved wall of the pound and the fragmentary remains, comprising the base of a pillar and a fragment of walling, of the second linhay.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4490 - RMB Chivenor Flood Defence Scheme Barnstaple, Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment
• EDV6573 - Braunton Marshes Linhay Survey

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