Barn And Shelter Approximately 18 Metres North Of Stantaway Farmhouse

A barn and adjoining shelter, dating from the early 17th century, was enlarged in the 18th century, with the shelter added in the late 19th or early 20th century. The barn is constructed of exposed red cob on stone rubble footings, with some patching in 19th and 20th century brick and concrete blocks. The shelter is partly weatherboarded and both structures have a thatched roof.

The barn faces south-east onto the farmyard and contains large double doorways onto the threshing floor. The left, or south-western, section is the original early 17th century portion, extended to the right in the 18th century. A short section at the right end connects the barn to later 19th century threshing machinery, which is located in another barn (listed separately). A rear barn doorway is now blocked with cob. A full-height doorway, slightly left of centre on the front of the barn, now contains late 19th century double plank doors with a timber ventilator grille above. A hayloft loading hatch is located at the right end. The barn roof is half-hipped to the left and hipped to the right.

The shelter, located at the left or south-western end of the barn, is lower and set back. It appears to have originally been open-fronted, later having a byre inserted into the section closest to the barn. The shelter’s front is open, except for the right side, which is weatherboarded over a brick sleeper wall. Its roof is half-hipped over a weather-boarded left end.

Inside the barn, the section to the left of the doorway has a hayloft supported by crudely-finished oak crossbeams. The rest of the barn is open to the roof. The roof structure is of two periods; the first three bays feature early 17th century cruck roof trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars and dovetail halvings. The remaining three bays contain 18th century A-frame trusses with pegged and spiked lap-jointed collars and X-apexes. The shelter roof is of crude, uncollared trusses, having once included a hayloft which has since been removed.

This barn and shelter represent an uncommon example of a traditional thatched Devon farm building. It forms a group with the other farm buildings surrounding the farmyard behind Stantaway Farmhouse and contributes to the character of the listed buildings along Otterton Fore Street.