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Summary

The farm buildings at Head Barton may occupy an ancient site; it is first documented in 1272. However, the present buildings have been rebuilt in more recent centuries to reflect changing agricultural practices. The present farmstead comprises two ranges of farm buildings on either side of a trackway, which may once have been part of the main road between Exeter and Barnstaple. Some of the buildings are of 19th century date, representing model farm buildings more or less contemporary with the present farmhouse, but others are possibly 18th century or earlier and include several
linhays, a threshing barn, stables and a possible poundhouse. The earliest surviving fabric is probably the reused 16th-17th century chamfered beams within the poundhouse which may have come from the original farmhouse.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS61NE/121/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (XVI to XIX - 1501 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

The Tithe Map shows four buildings ranged around a yard, with the farmhouse (shaded pink) on the north side. To the south, on the other side of a track way is a long, linear range orientated north-west to south-east, which has a slight kink towards the middle. A small, circular enclosure is shown on the south side at the south-eastern end.

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

Head Barton marked. Comparison with the Tithe Map shows the farmhouse and adjoining L-shaped building on the north side of the northern yard to have been replaced by a smaller building with its own yard. The small building on the east side of the yard has also been replaced or incorporated within a larger rectangular building orientated north-south with a range of smaller, rectangular buildings to the north. These form the west side of another yard, on the east side of which is large building, the present farmhouse. An additional building on the south side of the southern range is also shown.

Parker, R.W. + Browne, L.M.S.F., 2019, Historic Building Assessment and Documentary History of Farm Buildings at Head Barton Farm, Chittlehamholt, Devon (Report - Assessment). SDV365470.

An assessment of the historic farm buildings at Head Barton Farm was undertaken for the Kingsnympton Park Estate in order to inform a planning application for alterations to the historic farm buildings, which are no longer used for agricultural purposes. The farm buildings comprise two groups to the west of the farmhouse (not included in the assessment).
The two groups of buildings are divided by a trackway which has been suggested to have been part of the former main road between Exeter and Barnstaple. The buildings to the south of the track comprise a long linear range with, from east to west, a single storey cart shed or trap house, a single storey cart linhay (I), its open front facing north, a threshing barn with a horse engine house on the south side and a long linhay (II), facing north-east, and, forming the western end of the group, a double linhay (III), fronting both north-east and north-west with a single loft over.
The group of buildings to the north of the track include a 19th century building, possibly originally a stables with a granary above, which bears the inscription, MR 1882. A lower, single storey range extends to the north. To the west of the stables/granary is a pound house and to the west of this a large stable which has a single central head walk serving two groups of stalls. To the north of this are piggeries set within a small, walled enclosure.
Although the farm buildings at Head Barton may occupy an ancient site (it is first documented in 1272), the present buildings , as at many Devon farmsteads have been rebuilt in later centuries to reflect changing agricultural practices. There is no evidence of medieval fabric in the existing structures, though it is highly likely that buried remains of the medieval farmhouse and buildings survive and elements of the earlier structures may have been preserved within the existing walling of the later buildings. The close proximity of a possible prehistoric settlement or barrow cemetery immediately to the south of the farm buildings is clear evidence of the potential for archaeological remains relating to early occupation and exploitation of the site. Such remains might be exposed conversion works to the buildings.
The surviving early buildings were probably laid out to reflect the line of the former road from Exeter to Barnstaple which appears to have passed directly through the site. The buildings preserve this layout today. Despite much later 19th century intervention, the footprint of the existing structures still reflects the foot print of the buildings shown on the 1845 Tithe Map, the earliest map to showing the layout of the farm buildings in any detail. The medieval buildings on the site are also likely to have followed this alignment.
The earliest fabric now identifiable in the buildings is probably the floor structure in the poundhouse, which incorporates substantial chamfered beams with large, square sectioned joisting and square cut stops. This fabric may date from the 16th or 17th century but has perhaps been reused here. It may have been derived from the demolished farmhouse, since the detail appears to be domestic rather than agricultural in character. The cider press, which survives intact, also seems to have been relocated here, perhaps during one of the later 19th century remodellings of the buildings. Much of the rest of the building , including the roof has been reconstructed in the late 19th century
The principal survivors of the 18th or early 19th century farm buildings are the large western stable, parts of the threshing barn, and the two western linhays, Linhay II and L inhay III. The threshing barn, like the poundhouse, has lost its original roof and east wall, but the north and south walls and the west wall all appear to retain fabric of early date. The presence of sockets in the west external wall of the barn, which do not relate to the existing Linhay II show that the barn is the earliest of these two buildings and that there was formerly another structure to its west. The date of the barn cannot be easily established without evidence of its original roof but it is probably a late 18th century structure typical of its period, and would probably have had a steep roof with A frame trusses and fully hipped end gables prior to its extension in the 19th century. The barn may have been constructed against a yard wall, which survives running along the southern edge of the site, and which now forms part of the rear wall of linhays I and II. The wall seems to have been truncated at the construction of linhay III. Like the barn, the wall is not easily datable. It quite conceivably follows the line of a boundary earlier than any of the existing buildings. Linhay III is probably the most outstanding survivor of the early buildings on the site.
This well preserved and most attractive structure is very unusual, being a double linhay with two open fronts serving north and south facing shippons covered by a single loft. The cylindrical piers of the open fronted elevations are more usually found in the South Hams or on Exmoor and the single loft, with a central pitching void for fodder serving both shippons is the only example of its type known to the author. A part for the loss of its thatched roof the building is almost complete. The roof structure is unusual and might perhaps date from the mid 18th century, though an earlier date, in the late 17th century, is possible. Some early furnishings, including wooden mangers are preserved. The enclosure of the lower part of the north elevation is perhaps of 20th century date.
Linhay II may date from the late 18th or early 19th century, though there is some evidence that it has been dismantled and reconstructed, or at least that the roof has. It seems to have been built against an earlier yard wall and is a Devon linhay of the conventional type with its open front supported on wooden posts. The shippon on the ground floor retains its furnishings and head walk, though there is no pitching void from the loft floor above , the loft presumably being for storage only. The roof shows evidence of having been dismantled and reconfigured, but even after this intervention it was probably thatched. Both the hipped ends of the threshing barn and the half hipped gable of linhay III were rebuilt when this linhay was erected. The linhay is a handsome example of this type of building and probably dates, in its present form from the mid 19th century. Its frontage appears to have been enclosed during Rolle Estate ownership in the late 19th century.
The other early building to survive at Head Barton is the western stable. This is probably also of late 18th or early 19th century date, though much remodelled in the 19th century, when it appears to have been reconfigured as a nursery stable containing two large loose boxes. The roof is typical of the 18th or 19th centuries but the red brick dressings of most of the existing openings and quoins are a mark of the late 19th century alterations. This building also preserves original furniture, including mangers and a most unusual head walk in the form of a cross passage.
The later 19th century buildings at Head Barton are of exceptionally high quality; attractive and well designed model farm buildings of the period. These includethe granary building, Linhay I and the Trap House at its eastern end, and the exceptionally well preserved piggeries west of the modern farmhouse. These buildings are characteristic of the late 19th century with attractive architectural detailing, solidly built doors and partitions and distinctive ironwork for the door furniture, including strap hinges, latches and window catches. These buildings were probably constructed between 1880 and 1907 for the Hon. Mark Rolle. The farm buildings at Head Barton thus reflect around 200 years of investment in high quality and up to date farm buildings by the owners of the site, which it is hoped the current proposals will preserve and enhance for the future.
See report for full details.

Ordnance Survey, 2023, Mastermap 2023 (Cartographic). SDV365227.

Head Barton marked.

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1117393 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

Head Barton. Farmhouse. 1872 by datestone. Unrendered stone rubble with brick dressings and quoins. Hipped slate roof.
Rectangular plan house, 2 rooms deep with principal front room to each side of stairhall.
Interior: Largely unaltered since C19. Head Barton is one of the more substantial farmhouses built by the Rolle family, and is imposingly situated overlooking the River Mole.
See listing description for full details.
Date first listed: 8th January 1988

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1117394 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

Barn and linhay circa 20 metres south-west of Head Barton. Probably early C19, with late C19 alterations. Barn of stone rubble with some rendered cob to the upper parts. Timber boarded linhay with stone rubble and cob side and rear walls. Corrugated asbestos roofs with gable ends.
Gable-ended horse engine-house to rear left side of barn.
See listing description for full details.
Date first listed: 8th January 1988

Historic England, 2023, National Heritage List for England, 1117395 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365228.

Range of farmbuildings comprising stables, cider house, granary, cartsheds and detached piggeries circa 5 metres west of Head Barton. 1882 by datestone. Unrendered stone rubble with some cob, and brick dressings. L-shaped range of farmbuildings with lofted stables and cider house extending at right angles to rear left side of lofted granary and single storey cart-sheds, tool room, stick room and furnace room extending from right gable end. Detached single storey piggeries to rear of and at right angles to cart sheds.
See listing description for full details.
Date first listed: 8th January 1988

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8974 - Historic building assessment and documentary research on farm buildings at Head Barton, Chittlehamholt (Ref: 2019.02)

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