Higher Trayne

Higher Trayne is a farmhouse situated on the brink of a coombe near Ilfracombe. Originally dating from probably the early 19th century, it was partly rebuilt, extended and altered by the architect Oliver Hill around 1939 to 1941 for Lady Ballalieu. Hill also designed the gardens.

The building is constructed of rendered and colour-washed rubble with synthetic slate roofs, which replaced Hill's original thatch. The roofs feature crowstep gables with flashing. The plan contains a lateral stack rising the full height of the house to the main building and a tall slab stack to the rear of the extension.

The western garden facade comprises 2 storeys with a single-storey left-hand extension. The main house displays a 3-window range, with a central full-height canted bay containing 2-light casements with glazing bars and a hipped roof, and a full-height stack to the right. Below, the ground floor to the right has a 3-light casement with glazing bars; to the left is a French window with glazing bars surrounded by a zigzag design inset in slate, which continues around a recessed circular panel with radiating slates above. The first floor has 2-light casements with glazing bars, originally fitted with shutters. The music room extension to the left incorporates 3 walls of an original barn, featuring 6 full-height triangular bay windows with glazing bars. The bottom two-thirds of these windows can open to the garden, providing air or shelter depending on wind direction. A distinctive path of alternating square and rectangular Delabole slabs set within borders of graded beach pebbles from a local river-mouth forms an important feature across the front of the building.

The rear eastern elevation contains the main single-storey red brick entrance with a slate roof, positioned between 2-storey, 1-window colour-washed rendered elevations facing the farmyard. A centrally glazed door with glazing bars is flanked by bullseye windows with patterned leaded glazing. Above, the first floor is deeply recessed with two 16-pane hornless sashes. The left-hand elevation has a similar door and 3-light casement, while the right-hand elevation displays three 2-light casements. The roofs and crowstep gables form a picturesque grouping from this side.

The interior ground floor is paved with waxed blue-grey-green Delabole slate, except the living room which has strip oak flooring. The hall features a slate floor with steps flanked by slate ledged alcoves. A central old oak door, segmental arched, carved and panelled, provides access from the top of the steps. To the left, a winding stair leads to first floor rooms, one containing zigzag cupboards. The ground floor living room has an angle fireplace with a random rubble surround and canted chimneybreast faced with old blue and white tiles, featuring a concave central plane. The music room contains an open brick-lined fireplace with a rough timber mantel. The north wall was opened in 1976 to form a gallery. The music room originally displayed a full-height mural by Hans Tisdall.

The alterations and extensions to the farmhouse were largely constructed using stone quarried on the site and old materials, often employing untrained local labour. The garden layout was designed to link the house and coombe together, incorporating triangular faceted piers and steps where the garden meets the coombe brink, from which views of the sea and Welsh coast are visible. A string of small ponds steps down the slope in front of the house, providing reflections. To the north is a walled Italian garden with old Irish yews. Higher Trayne forms a group with the garden piers, steps and garden walls.