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Summary

Circular linhay restored in the 1980s. The building has low shale rubble walls with 2 opposing entrances and a conical thatched roof.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1161344: CATTLE SHELTER 950 METRES NORTH OF THE GREAT SLUICE
• SHINE: Earthworks, fields and hedgebanks associated with Braunton Great Field, open field system and WWII pillboxes

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS43NE/47
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 98292
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LINHAY (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

Building not shown.

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

Circular building marked.

Unknown, 1960s, Round Linhay (Ground Photograph). SDV357996.

Millward, R. + Robinson, A., 1971, North Devon and North Cornwall, 78, Plate 2F (Monograph). SDV341137.

A gem of Devon's vernacular architecture - a thatched circular barn in Braunton Marsh. Photo shows the building as it was in the late 1960s.

Department of Environment, 1976, Barnstaple RD (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV341139.

Circular building on Braunton Marsh is a roundhouse, probably for horse powered water pump. Stone with thatched roof, 18th/19th century

Timms, S. C., 1977, Braunton Marsh Linhay, Film 299 (Personal Comment). SDV341140.

Site visit 1977. One of an interesting group of agricultural buildings on Braunton Marsh which was reclaimed in 1811-15. No visible evidence that it was built as a roundhouse, better described as a barn. Roof in poor condition.

Timms, S., 1977, Round Barn (Ground Photograph). SDV357440.

Unknown, 1980s, Round Barn on Braunton Marsh (Ground Photograph). SDV357366.

Black and white photos showing the round barn as restored in the 1980s.

Unknown, 1981, Round Barn on Braunton Marsh (Ground Photograph). SDV357368.

Black and white photo of round barn taken not long before the roof structure finally collapsed.

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. The circular building alongside the Marsh Road, which was thatched until relatively recently, is a particularly fine example. The roof timbers finally collapsed during a winter gale in 1981.

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

Linhay 27. 2 metres high by 6 metres wide by 6.7 metres long. Doorway 1.5 metres wide with flat wooden lintel. No Pound. Fallen down. Annotated survey drawing shows a roofless, circular stone building with two opposing entrances.

Department of Environment, 1985, Braunton, 17 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV73918.

Cattle shelter, circa 1815-20. Low shale rubble walls, circular plan with 2 opposing entrances. Roofless at time of survey (1984) but originally had conical thatched roof. There are plans to replace the roof. This cattle shelter (locally known as linhays) is one of many on Braunton Marsh and served as a shelter and possibly fodder store for cattle on the marsh. It is the only circular shelter.

Child, P., 1997 - 2002, Cattle Shelter on Braunton Marsh (Un-published). SDV345310.

Newspaper articles, listed building application, correspondence and photos regarding the rethatching of the round linhay in 2002.

Manning, C., 2007, Braunton Marsh Management Study 2007, 8, 13, 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. In the 1980s several linhays were restored as part of the Braunton Conservation Project, including the eye catching round linhay, an iconic feature of the marshes. Other details: Photograph page 19.

Wessex Archaeology, 2007, RMB Chivenor Flood Defence Scheme Barnstaple, Devon: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment, 10 (WA27) (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. 1499 (Report - Assessment). SDV339712.

Circular building on Braunton Marsh. Suggested roundhouse for horse powered water pump, but apparently no evidence for this, so better described as barn. Stone with thatched roof. Not shown on braunton tithe map (1840). Ruin in 1977.

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

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

Cattle shelter 95 [sic] metres north of the Great Sluice. Cattle shelter. Circa 1815-20. Low shale rubble walls. Circular on plan with two opposing entrances. Roofless at time of survey (1984) but originally had conical thatched roof. There are plans to replace the roof. This cattle shelter (locally known as linhays) is one of many on Braunton Marsh and served as a shelter and possibly a fodder store for cattle on the marsh. It is the only circular shelter. 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 three 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.
Cattle Shelter 950 metres north of The Great Sluice. Formerly listed as Cattle Shelter 95 metres north of The Great Sluice.

G.L.W., 26/01/1982, Round Barn (Ground Photograph). SDV357367.

Black and white photo showing barn with roof structure finally gone.

Dennis, A. J., May 1983, Linhay 27 (Ground Photograph). SDV357365.

Black and white photo of roofless round barn.

Unknown, Unknown, Braunton Marsh and Horsey Island, 8 (Article in Serial). SDV357441.

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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