Penwarne Barton Farmhouse

Farmhouse. It is believed to have once been a chapel. The building likely dates to the medieval period, with significant remodelling occurring around the late 16th or early 17th century, and again in the 18th and 20th centuries. It is constructed of granite and elvan rubble walls, incorporating granite dressings. The steep, slurried scantle slate roof has substantial late 17th or 18th century granite rubble stacks with drip courses over the gable ends of the two-storey part of the house. The lower section of the roof is hipped. Originally, the farmhouse had a three-room and through-passage plan, although the rear doorway was blocked in the 20th century. The walls are very thick, except at the right-hand end, with the fireplace walls likely rebuilt or partly rebuilt around the late 17th or early 18th century. The walls of the two-storey section may have been heightened at the same time. Currently, the farmhouse consists of three relatively small rooms. The lower-end room features a large fireplace with two ovens; the other rooms share a cross chimney wall. The through passage was originally situated between the lower-end room and the middle room. The north-east front displays two 16th or early 17th century four-centred arched and chamfered doorways, believed to be original. The doorway in the middle of the two-storey section has pyramid stops on the chamfer; the other doorway, centrally positioned on the single-storey right-hand side, has no chamfer stops to the monolithic jambs which rest on plinth blocks. The front wall shows evidence of previous alterations including straight joints, reused chamfered masonry, and blocked pigeon holes. Two windows feature frames from former granite mullioned windows. The left-hand window retains chamfered jambs only; the right-hand window has rebated and cavetto moulded jambs and lintel, as well as stooling for a central mullion. This window now holds a circa early 19th century 12-pane horizontal sliding sash. The first-floor left-hand window has a sill from a former mullioned window. Other window openings have been inserted or altered. Inside, the fireplace in the left-hand room contains a large granite domed oven with an arched doorway on the left, and a probable later smaller oven on the right. Roof structures were not inspected but are likely from the late 17th or 18th century.