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Summary

A late 19th century house which contains masonry and roof timbers from a medieval building. Cruck trusses in the roof indicate that it was originally a large non domestic building, possibly a barn. Dendrochronological analysis indicates that it was built in the late 13th or early 14th century. It was possibly therefore originally the priory barn. It was in use as as house by the 17th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1334048: BARTON FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/39
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SY08NE13

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BARN (Built, XIII to XVII - 1201 AD (Between) to 1700 AD (Between))
• FARMHOUSE (Built, XIII to XVII - 1201 AD (Between) to 1700 AD (Between)) + Sci.Date

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1954, SY08NE13 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV116639.

Site visit 10th July 1953. A cement-faced building with modern chimneys, windows and roof. There is no dateable evidence, though nothing that is visible appears earlier than 18th-19th century. It is of doubtful antiquity.

Laithwaite, J. M. W., 1986, Devon Religious Houses Survey: Otterton Priory (Archive - Survey). SDV366136.

Otterton House is said to contain remnants of the priory. Although its appearance is generally early-mid 19th century it has five pairs of cruck trusses in the upper story. They are of wide span, their tops sawn off just above floor level in the roof space. One of the trusses is chamfered with a diagonal-cut stop just above first-floor level, suggesting that the crucks always stood on a thick wall corresponding to the existing ground storey. The trusses are clean, so this cannot have been a house in the medieval period, although a chamfered upper-floor beam in the ground floor suggests that it was so by the 17th century. An early 19th century painting at Otterton Mill shows a house with mullioned windows (then used as a barn) immediately west of the church, and it is possible that this had been the farmhouse at one time.
The present house, therefore, originated as a non-domestic building. The crucks look early in date, possibly 13th century and it is tempting to think of it as the priory barn. However, it cannot be assumed that the crucks pre-date the dissolution of the priory in 1414.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2022 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Otterton House, formerly Otterton Barton. Cruck trusses indicate building was originally large non domestic building (?barn) possibly associated with priory but could be later. Used as house by 17th century. Now largely 19th century building. Listed Grade II.
SMR.

Tyers, C + Hurford, M. + Arnold, A. + Howard, R.E. + Thorp, J., 2009, Dendrochronological Research in Devon: Phase II, 14-15, building description, photos (Report - Interim). SDV348234.

Barton House is a late 19th century house which contains masonry and roof timbers from a medieval building. The absence of doorways and windows suggest that the original building was not domestic. It was a large building, some 22.5m long by 9m wide, one of the widest medieval buildings in Devon. It is suggested that it was originally a barn.
The results of a dendrochronological analysis undertaken on timbers from the roof of the house provided estimated felling dates of between 1292 and 1321, suggesting that the house was built in the late 13th or early 14th century. This ties in with the architectural evidence which suggests an estimated construction date of c1300-1400.

Historic England, 2024, Historic England Research Record, 448528 (Website). SDV365986.

Summary : House, former farmhouse, probable monastic origins. Early 16th century, radically refurbished and re-arranged c.1850. Possibly originally built as a barn belonging to the monastery which occupied the site of the adjacent church.
Otterton barton is so named in a sale notice of 1777 where it is described as the capital barton and farm, being part of the demesne of Otterton manor. Polwhele described the house and appurtenances of the manor as though the former was Otterton Barton but the manor house before this date, certainly from 1539, was the building now known as the Priory, now divided into almshouses (citing Polwhele 1793, History of Devon, Vol 2, 1793 p228).
See research record for more information.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1334048 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

Barton Farmhouse. Probably monastic origins. Early C16, radically refurbished and rearranged circa 1850. Plastered stone rubble raised with C19 brick; stone rubble and brick stacks topped with C19 brick and including some Rolle Estate chimney pots; slate roof. Double depth plan house facing south-west. The main 3 rooms are on the front with narrower service rooms to rear. Cross passage between centre and left rooms to stairs in rear part. The left room has an end stack and there is a large axial stack between the other 2. The right room was the kitchen. Low range of stores at right angles to rear of left end and outshot across rear added in 1985. Contemporary porch on right end. 2 storeys. Irregular 4-window front of C19 casements with glazing bars and contemporary front door left of centre. Roof half-hipped each end. Interior is nearly all the result of the C19 refurbishment. The only feature which may be earlier is the fireplace of the middle room. It is blocked by a C19 fireplace but the original was apparently very large. The kitchen fireplace backing on to this one is C19, built of brick with a reused oak beam as the lintel. Throughout the rest of the house the joinery detail is consistently mid C19 so to is the king post truss roof. However, on the first floor and in the roof, there is evidence of the original house. It had stone rubble walls which still survive on the long sides to its full height. On the north-west end is the gable but not the other end. The walls were raised approximately 2m in the C19. The original 5-bay roof also survives but the trusses have been cut off just below collar level. They are true cruck trusses of enormous scantling with the remains of chamfered archbraces and windbraces. Other contemporary features may be concealed in the outer walls. Barton Farmhouse is interesting because of the partial survival of the early C16 building. This is intriguing. The standard of carpentry suggests it was a house but if so evidence of smoke-blackening may be expected. Possibly the house was built originally as a barn belonging to the monastry which occupied the site of the adjacent churchyard before the Dissolution.
Date first listed: 10th February 1987

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5623 - Dendrochronological Research in Devon, Phase II

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