Higher Brithayes Farmhouse

Higher Brithayes Farmhouse dates from around the middle of the 18th century. It is constructed of whitewashed rendered stone, with the rear wall left unrendered, and has a slate roof with gabled ends. There are stacks at the right end and originally also to the rear of the ridge and at the left end, although the shaft of the left-end stack has been removed.

The farmhouse has an unusual plan, combining elements of earlier farmhouse designs with later refinements. It is three rooms wide, with a cross passage containing the stair located to the left of the centre. This passage continues between narrow service rooms in an integral outshut with a catslide roof. The main rooms comprise a parlour (formerly heated by a stack at the left end), a central living room (with a rear wall stack), and a kitchen (heated by a stack at the right end). An axial passage runs behind the living room and kitchen, leading to service rooms and attic accommodation above. The axial passage is accessed from the rear of the kitchen, has a service stair at the right end, and connects to the rear of the cross passage, affording access to all service areas without entering the main living rooms. A single-storey block attached to the right end was likely always used for fuel storage.

The front of the farmhouse presents a near-symmetrical appearance with four windows. A panelled front door, covered by a flat, bracketed porch canopy, is located to the left of the centre passage. A similar door with porch canopy leads directly into the kitchen on the right. The windows are 3-light casements with four panes per light, except for the first-floor window above the front door, which is a 2-light casement.

Inside, the principal ground floor rooms feature 18th-century doors with two fielded panels and HL hinges. The staircase has stick balusters with a turned newel. Later 20th-century fire grates have been installed, along with a large circular bread oven in the kitchen fireplace that projects into the adjoining storage room. The service rooms have plank doors and strap hinges with gudgeon hooks. It is said that the house formerly had an 18th-century datestone on the front wall. Intact 18th-century farmhouses are scarce in Devon, and Higher Brithayes is a good example, notable for its interesting plan and surviving original joinery.