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Summary

Range of 19th century farm buildings comprising cattle houses on the south and west sides with a large corn barn on the north side. The latter is a typical South Hams barn with its end built into a slope so that it can be loaded at first floor level. The type is locally distinctive and not found anywhere else in Britain. The barn also once had a waterwheel at its lower end which drove a threshing machine.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1168318: FARMYARD GROUP NORTH WEST OF BEARSCOMBE FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX74SE/9/3
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARM BUILDING (Built, XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Buildings on the north and south sides of the yard shown on the Tithe Map.

Department of Environment, 1989, Buckland Tout Saints, 26 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV351845.

Farmyard group to north-west of Bearscombe Farmhouse. Farmyard, enclosed on four sides by 2-storey buildings. Late C18 or early C19. Slatestone rubble, slate or corrugated asbestos-cement roofs. North side is long 2-storey barn; to yard has 2 brick segemental head doorways, and a large opening to timber lintel and paired plank doors to right, with additional unit with swept-down roof in corner. Right gable, built in to slope has wide plank loading door to loft; back has some vents. Interior with 9 or 10 bays scissors roof, and a stone partition, raised in timber, towards left end. On the north side a former leat leads to wheel pit, wheel now gone. Enclosing the yard to right of barn is high stone wall to about 3.5 metres from yard level, containing recess to semicircular curved back, former water supply point. Left, west side of yard has shippon in 2 storeys with 4 openings to segmental heads in stone voussoirs, and one larger square opening; first floor has 2 square loading open- ings. Return, at south side, similar, with 3 voussoired openings and a square opening under 2 loading openings; interior has central spine wall in concrete block. A small gabled wing returns towards the upper barn, with a large square opening, and gable raised in concrete block. To east face is set against the slope, with a loading opening to the loft in the end gable. The wall containing niche, attached to barn, sweeps round in broad curve to give lead-in to gate to the yard. A large, regular group forming part of a large assembly of outbuild- ings to Bearscombe Farmhouse (q.v), little altered. Except for loss of some roof slating, and use of concrete block, but unobtrusively.

Bodman, M., 2003, Watermills and Other Water-Powered Sites in Devon, 157 (Report - Interim). SDV325576.

A sale notice of 20th August 1810 in the Sherborne Mercury refers to a threshing machine worked by water. The waterwheel apparently continued to work the threshing machine until 1943.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

Child, P., 23/01/2001, Countryside Stewardship. Farm Buildings at Bearscombe, Buckland Tout Saints (Correspondence). SDV351846.

The buildings at Bearscombe form a particularly fine group and site attractively in the South Hams landscape. The farmhouse is a mixture of periods but the farm buildings are probably all of early to mid 19th century in date. There are two separate farmyards at Bearscombe both of which are considered to be suitable candidates for grant aid under the Countryside Stewardship scheme. The western yard has cattle housing along the west and south sides with the north side formed by a large barn. The roofs of the cattle houses have been replaced with asbestos sheeting but the barn still retains its slate roof. The barn is a particularly interesting building in that it is an example of a South Hams barn. This type of barn is locally distinctive and not found elsewhere in England, with the end built into a slope so that it can be loaded at first floor level. The Bearscombe barn is made more interesting by the fact that it originally had a water wheel at its lower end which drove the threshing machine. Unfortunately, the wheel has now gone but the stone-built leat can still be seen in the field to the north. The building is generally sound apart from the roof slates which, in common with other buildings on the farm, need to be replaced. The type of slate to be used for re-roofing these buildings is discussed. Child expresses his reluctance to concede the use of imported Spanish slates rather than Cornish slates with which the buildings were originally roofed, given the quality of the buildings.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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