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Summary

A row of 18th-19th century farmbuildings on the south side of the trackway to the south-west of the farmhouse. They include a threshing barn with a horse engine house and an unusual, double sided linhay.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1117394: BARN AND LINHAY CIRCA 20 METRES SOUTH WEST OF HEAD BARTON

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS61NE/121/2
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LINHAY (Built, XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• THRESHING BARN (Built, XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• HORSE ENGINE HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• TRAP HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1801 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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.

Historic buildings assessment undertaken for the Kingsnympton Park Estate in August 2019 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 stand to the west of the farmhouse and comprise two groups divided by a trackway, which is suggested to have been 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-east, a threshing barn with a horse engine house on the south side, a long sloping linhay (II) facing north-east, and, forming the western end of the group, a double linhay (III), facing both north-east and north-west with a single loft over.
The trap house and linhay I are of stone, with brick dressings under slate roofs. They are later 19th century in date, part of the additions and improvements to the farm by Hon. Mark Rolle.
The threshing barn is of two phases, the western part with central opposed doors being the original barn. The older part of the building is of stone with cob above, the newer, eastern bays are entirely of stone. The roof is 19th century, similar to those of the trap house and linhay. The barn is considered to be 18th century in origin, extended and reroofed in the 1880s, when the farm was improved by Mark Rolle; the door hinges are stamped with a capital ‘R’ (the farm was part of the Rolle estate from 1708 until Mark Rolle’s death in 1906). The horse engine house was also probably added in the late 19th century.
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. The presence of sockets in the west external wall of the barn, which do not relate to the existing building suggest that there was formerly another structure here. The present structure 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 eviden ce 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.
Linhay III is an unusual structure, 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. Apart from 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. It is a well preserved and attractive building.
The farm buildings at Head Barton 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.

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

Row of buildings along the south side of a track.

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. Rectangular plan, symmetrical barn with single opposing cart entrances with double plank doors and projecting porch to front. Timber threshing floor intact. Linhay extends to right, 6 bays with timber uprights and boarded front with cover strips, and further 4 bays to right to double sided linhay with circular stone and cob piers to front and back. Hay lofts intact. Gable-ended horse engine-house to rear left side of barn.
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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