Brushford Barton

Brushford Barton is a large house, built in the early 19th century, although it may incorporate elements from the late 16th or early 17th century. The main structure is built with plastered cob on rubble footings, with stone rubble stacks topped with 19th-century brick chimney shafts and a slate roof.

The main block faces south and includes a large entrance hall with stairs at the rear, a single room to the right with an end stack, and two rooms to the left with an axial stack between, serving back-to-back fireplaces. A two-room kitchen and service wing extend at right angles to the rear of the entrance hall and the right (east) room, also featuring an axial stack serving back-to-back fireplaces. Another rear wing extends at right angles to the rear of the left (west) room, also comprising two rooms with an axial stack. The house is two storeys high and has a symmetrical five-window front, with all windows being 16-pane sashes containing much original glass. A central six-panel door is set within an original timber doorcase featuring moulded pilasters, an ornate entablature, a fluted key in the centre of a geometric flatwork frieze, and a moulded cornice. A contemporary, shallow Doric porch with a moulded entablature provides a small balcony protected by ornate wrought iron railings, and has a flat roof. Deep eaves and a hipped roof are present at each end. A two-storey outshot with fixed panes or casements, some with glazing bars, is located on the right (east) side. The rear blocks have a mixture of 19th and 20th-century windows, including sashes and casements, with some lacking glazing bars. A tall 12-pane sash window illuminates the stairs at the back of the main block. On the left (west) side is a cast iron circular plate featuring a mask of a bearded man.

Inside, the main block retains original marble chimney pieces, plasterwork, and joinery. The original open string staircase has shaped stair brackets, stick balusters, a mahogany handrail, a curtail step, and a scroll wreath. Both rear blocks contain a late 16th- to early 17th-century crossbeam; the beam on the left side has a soffit-chamfered finish with pyramid stops, while the one on the right has a soffit-chamfered finish with double step stops. These beams are likely reused. The roof of the left wing, which was the only one inspected, contains 19th-century king post trusses. Brushford Barton was built for the Luxton family and is believed by its owners to be the largest cob house in England, or certainly amongst the largest.