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Summary

Originally a Domesday manor, Bury Barton takes its name from the Roman earthwork in which it is situated. It has a farmhouse dating back to the 14th century and a succession of farm buildings dating from the 16th century around a double courtyard. Adjoining the farm is a 15th century chapel.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002669: A Roman fort and Roman camp at Bury Barton
• Listed Building (I) 1325618: CHAPEL APPROXIMATELY 40 METRES NORTH-EAST OF BURY BARTON FARMHOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS70NW1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FARMSTEAD (Unknown date) + Sci.Date

Full description

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1932, The Place-Names of Devon: Part Two, 369 (Monograph). SDV337894.

Bury Barton is recorded as 'Beria' in the Domesday Book, 1086, and as 'Bury' in 1503. The site may have been a stronghold guarding the passage of the River Yeo at this point.

Hoskins, W. G., 1947 - 1949, The Meaning of Barton, 275 (Article in Serial). SDV652.

Bury Barton is cited as a typical example of a barton farm having been originally a Domesday manor with a separate subsequent manorial history from the chief manor in which it lay.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 422-423 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Bury was a Domesday manor, taking its name from an earthwork (burh) now lost, and giving its name in turn to the Bury family who owned it for several centuries. Their mansion, now a large farmhouse, is 16th-17th century in date. Adjoining the barton is the detached ruin of the Bury's private chapel.

Phayre, R. B., 1956 - 1958, Discoveries at Bury Barton, 24 (Article in Serial). SDV341279.

Some genealogical and heraldic background is given.

Alcock, N. W., 1966, A Devon Farm: Bury Barton, Lapford, 106-131 (Article in Serial). SDV177653.

Bury Barton has both a very early farm house and a succession of farm buildings dating from the 16th century onwards. These give a comprehensive idea of the development of the farm, as instead of replacing old buldings new ones have almost always been added. There is also a 15th century chapel. As the name of the farm indicates, there is an earthwork on the site. Its situation, size and shape suggests it could be a Roman military fort, but strategically it is difficult to see why one should be on this site. Alternatively it could be Roman but non-military or of the later Dark Ages. At some unknown date the site was resettled, probably before the Norman Conquest. Documentary sources are limited. The first certain reference is in 1502 when the farm was in the ownership of the Bury family.
The farm buildings are mainly arranged around two courtyards; the outer one is largely of the 19th century, buth ther inner has two ranges probably of the 16th century. See article for full details. Other details: Plates and figures.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1970 - 1977, SS70NW1 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV341280.

Higham, R. A., 1979, The Castles of Medieval Devon, 53 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV336189.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BG, 8,9 (Aerial Photograph). SDV47322.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, DAP/FE, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV47324.

Griffith, F. M., 1986, DAP/GN, 12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV53114.

Laithwaite, M., 1989, Devon Farmsteads. A Preliminary Survey, 14 (Report - Survey). SDV339847.

Farmstead with double courtyard plan. The inner courtyard has two 16th century buildings including a threshing barn. The outer courtyard has cattle linhays that appear to have been added in stages before and after 1842.

Griffith, F. M., 1994, DAP/XA, 11-13 (Aerial Photograph). SDV47338.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, DAP/YN, 3-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV47342.

Griffith, F. M., 1996, DAP/AAQ, 6-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV53118.

Child, P., 1997, Bury Barton (Ground Photograph). SDV364914.

Photos of the farm buildings at Bury Barton.

Wade-Martins, S., 2000, The Farmsteads of Devon: A Thematic Survey, 13 (Monograph). SDV351739.

The gradual development of a farmyard can be followed at Bury Barton where the farmstead eveloved from the 16th century, although the farmhouse, which occupies the south side, may well be medieval. It is made up of an earlier inner yard and an outer 19th century court of linhays. The inner yard includes several 16th century buildings conssiting of the barn and part of the north range which may have been a second barn or granary. In the 17th century a domestic building, perhaps for farm servants was added to the group around what was still a very open yard. It was not until the 18th century that the yard was finally closed in with the building of linhays, making it suitable for the inwintering of livestock. In the 19th century a further linhay was built against the east wall and after 1840, the second court was built to the north. We cannot be sure that some of these buildings are not replacements of older ones, or that the yard could not have been enclosed by hurdles at an earlier date, but the evidence suggests that the farm was largely arable in the 16th- and 17th centuries with an increase in cattle in the 18th and a large increase again in the 19th century.

Child, P., 2003, Historic Farm Buildings Group: Annual Conference Devon 19-21 September 2003, Plan (Report - non-specific). SDV351745.

Bury Barton occupies an ancient site overlying a small Roman military camp. The house has an archaic form of roof construction which has been dated dendrochronologically to 1328-1339 There is a most picturesque early 15th century private chapel with a thatched roof. The remarkable survival of buildings from all periods enabled Alcock clearly to identify how increasing emphasis on pastoral farming from the 16th century to the 1 9th century, resulted in progressively greater demand for yarded accommodation for cattle.
In 1994 in recognition of the importance of Bury Barton, English Heritage offered very substantial grant aid toward the repair of the extremely dilapidated farm buildings which enabled them to be repaired to a good structural state.
The farm buildings are grouped in two courtyards, the inner largely of the 16th century, the outer of the 19th century. The upper side of the inner yard is occupied by a corn barn with two cross entries with a threshing floor in the northern one. It is now 62 feet long but has been shortened at both ends. It is roofed with various versions of the jointed cruck truss, the standard composite truss found in Devon buildings from the 13th to the 17th centuries. These particular trusses are 16th century in style. Similar trusses are found in the east part of the north range of the inner court and this building was presumably originally open (perhaps a second barn) unlike the west part, built originally with two storeys, and which is later in date and perhaps used for accommodation. In the Valuation Office Survey the east part is a lofted stable, the west part a lofted shippon.
The east range was for cider production and still contains the press and apple crusher, but built into a dividing wall is the circular granite apple crusher which was made redundant when the mechanical crusher was acquired in thel9th century.
The north west corner of the yard is enclosed by a linhay which very unusually faces in two directions (probably 18th century) and which occupies the cut-off north end of the barn. In front of this is sited the horse engine house which is post 1842 as it is not shown on the tithe map. On the outer side of the linhay is a fine cob covered gateway which was presumably freestanding before the linhay's construction. This was a root house at the time of the Valuation Office Survey
In the 19th century a whole new yard was added incrementally. The north range is presumably pre-1842 since it is shown on the tithe map. It consists now of 9 bays of linhays, the most westerly bays (which turn down the west side) having subsequently been rebuilt in stone as a root house. The west (J)and east (H) ranges (post-1842) consist of more Iinhays, presumably contemporary, as they share the same roof construction. The linhay walls are constructed of cob. The roofs are slated with the projecting front overhang fashionable on Devon farm buildings in the 19th century.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4341 - Survey of Devon Farmsteads

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