Crapstone Barton, Including Garden Wall and Gate Piers Immediately to West of House, Buckland Monachorum, Devon

Description

BUCKLAND MONACHORUM BUCKLAND MONACHORUM
SX 46 NE
3/54 Crapstone Barton, including garden
wall and gate piers immediately to
21.3.67
west of house

GV II*

Farmhouse, formerly small manor house. Probably C16 origins but much altered in C17
with some internal modifications in C18, extended in C19. Stone rubble walls,
rendered at the front, with granite dressings. Hipped asbestos slate roof with
sprocketted eaves. Towards left-hand end is small rubble stack with moulded granite
cap, probably early C17. Very large rendered rubble lateral stack at rear of
right-hand end. At the left-hand end is a C17 rubble stack with a splayed and
moulded rim.
Complex development of plan, the original layout of which is not entirely clear.
Documentary evidence suggests that a house existed here in the later C16 but was
practically rebuilt by the Crymes family in the early-mid C17. What remains of
this house is a very large hall to the right heated by a rear lateral stack. To its
left is a through passage the lower left side of which is a lobby with a staircase
behind then a smaller room, probably parlour. At the far left is a small unheated
service room. The 2-storeyed porch at the front of the passage was added in
approximately the mid C17. The most puzzling aspect of the plan is that the left-
hand wall of the passage is very thick and extends up to the roof with the rooms to
its left narrower than the deeper hall to its right. This suggests that it was
originally an outside wall but it is very difficult to ascertain which part of the
house is the earlier and what its original plan was. Quite possibly the C17
rebuilding was done in stages and this division represents one of the later stages
although the similarity in roof structures of both parts suggests they cannot be far
apart in date. For its large scale, the building is surprisingly small and none of
the rooms show evidence of having been a kitchen, so it seems likely that the house
was once considerably larger probably with at least one wing. In the early C18 a
new staircase was inserted to the left of the passage although the evidence of
mullion windows suggests that there had formerly been a stair there. At this stage
the room to its left was panelled and, if it had been used for service purposes
before, was converted to a parlour. This panelling was removed earlier in the C20.
In the early-mid C19 a parallel block 1-room deep was added along the rear of the
house. Possibly at this stage the C17 building was reduced to its present size.
2 storeys with attic. Asymmetrical 5-window front with 2-storeyed porch to right of
centre. To the far left on the first floor is an early C19 12-pane hornless sash
with a 2-light chamfered granite mullion window below it. To the right of the porch
on each floor is a 2-light chamfered granite mullion window below it. To the left
of the porch on each floor is a 2-light chamfered granite mullion window. The
hipped porch has a round-headed granite arch with roll moulding and chamfered
surround. The spandrels are outlined but not decorated. Blocked window opening
above. The front doorway is granite and segmental headed with roll moulding and a
probably C20 plank door. In either side of the porch is a stone seat. To the right
of the porch the windows are 4-light chamfered granite mullions; on both floors the
right-hand windows are blocked, the left-hand ones have had late C20 uPVC windows
inserted in the lights. At the rear the C19 addition completely obscures the
original rear wall.
Interior retains a number of good quality features. The hall fireplace has moulded
granite jambs and an oven in each side. The lintel is either obscure or has been
removed. Above is a small plaque of moulded plasterwork with the Crymes and Drake
arms below the date 1646. The room to the left of the passage has an early C18
shouldered wooden architrave and 2-panel door with bolection moulding and fielded
panels. The staircase adjoining this room is contemporary and is a straight run
with closed string, heavy turned newel and similar balusters and a moulded handrail.
At the top of the stairs is a C17 wooden chamfered doorframe which is stopped on the
right-hand jamb higher up to fit the stair handrail. It retains its original
studded plank door. These stairs continue up to the attic and 2 mullion windows
originally lit the stairwell but were blocked when the rear addition was built on.
The room over the porch has a segmental-headed chamfered granite doorway with C17
plank door. It is heated by a small granite framed fireplace with moulded corbel
stones and chamfered lintel and jambs. On the second floor there is another granite
framed C17 fireplace at the left gable end. An unusual feature is the chamfered
granite 4-centred arched doorway with leads from one part of the roof space to the
other through the thick wall. Both roof-structures are C17 but of slightly
different forms. Each part has substantial principals with straight feet, trenched
and threaded purlins and morticed apex, in the left-hand part, however, the collars
are cranked and halved onto the trusses and in the right-hand part (where the roof
has a slightly lower pitch) the collars are cambered and set into the trusses.
Pole states in his book on Devon that "after the dissolution, Crymes of London
purchased the manor (of Buckland) and builded for himself a dwelling house upon the
same". In the Devon Hearth Tax of 1674 Ellis Crymes is recorded as having 17
fireplaces which further suggests that the house must have been considerably larger.
The building's former status is reflected in the quality of some of the internal
features and in its impressive facade.
To include rubble garden wall to the front of the house with tall squared piers
opposite the porch.
Sources: West Country Studies Library - Devon Hearth Tax "Buckland Monachorum" -
Alice Bere. Further documentary references to the Cymes exist in the D.R.O.

Listing NGR: SX4908867966

External Links

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