Hawkridge Barton

Hawkridge Barton is a barton farmhouse, probably of late 15th-century origin, remodelled probably in the late 16th century, extended in the early 17th century, with some 19th-century internal alterations. The building is constructed of painted rendered stone rubble and cob, with unrendered rear and gable ends. It is roofed in thatch with a plain ridge and gable ends. Stone rubble stacks stand at each end, the taller one at the left inner room end, both with tapered caps and drips. A tall front lateral stone rubble hall stack with tapered cap and drip has a short front buttress added in the mid-20th century.

The plan is a 3-room and through-passage arrangement with a gable-ended wing to the rear of the hall and a dairy wing with leanto roof to the front of the lower end. The plan shows interesting development. The hall and wide through-passage to the right were originally open to the roof, with the passage ceiled first and apparently originally jettied into the hall. All ground floor evidence of the jetty was removed when the hall was floored over with a fine panelled ceiling. A rear stair turret was added towards the upper end of the hall, in the angle of the rear wing which was built at the same time. The rear wing was in use as a cider house within living memory and is now converted into part of the dwelling. The stack at its gable end suggests, however, that it may originally have been for domestic use. A massive solid cob wall between the hall and inner room rises to the apex of the roof. As the roof space over the inner room is inaccessible, it is not possible to establish whether the upper end is an addition, though the plasterwork overmantel to the inner room fireplace commemorating a marriage in 1615 indicates it was certainly built by the early 17th century. There is also a massive cob wall partition rising similarly to the apex of the roof on the lower side of the through-passage. A straight joint to the rear wall and interior detail indicate the lower end was entirely rebuilt, or possibly added, in the early 17th century. A winder staircase is housed in the front upper end corner beside the doorway through to the passage. The dairy wing, also apparently of the 17th century, extends at right angles to the front of the lower end. In the 19th century, the house was refenestrated and the majority of doors replaced. The hall staircase was replaced with a dog-leg staircase, a new door was formed towards the centre of the rear wall of the hall, and the original turret became a small storage room.

The front is of 2 storeys in a 3-window range. The 19th-century fenestration consists of 2-light casements with 6 panes per light to the upper storey. A 3-light casement of 8 panes per light faces the inner room, and a 4-light casement of 8 panes per light faces the hall. A late 19th-century 4-panelled door with glazed upper panels opens to the front through-passage. The dairy on the courtyard side has a casement of 3 leaded lights above a small 2-light window. A 17th-century weathered door surround exists on the inner face of the rear wing.

The interior contains a chamfered timber lintel to the lower end kitchen fireplace with bread oven. A 17th-century ovolo-moulded doorframe with ornate carved stops gives access to the winder staircase, with a doorway at the head to the chamber over the dairy having a depressed 4-centred arched chamfered surround. A 17th-century straight-headed doorway with chamfered surround connects the through-passage and lower end. The hall has a fine panelled ceiling of 6 fields with chamfered beams with hollow step stops at each intersection. The hall fireplace was rebuilt in the 20th century, though the original lintel may survive. The inner room displays fine plasterwork overmantel with the central arms of Acland impaling Tremayne, recording the marriage of Baldwin Acland with Elizabeth Tremayne in 1615. The overmantel comprises a strapwork cartouche with small heads probably of Cain and Abel to each side, flanked by foliage and figures of Adam and Eve with the serpent above. A single axial chamfered ceiling beam has been hacked to take plaster. Good quality 19th-century 6-panelled doors and doorcases are present. The rear wing has 3 chamfered cross beams and a single bressumer with hollow step stops. A 17th-century chamfered straight-headed doorway gives access to one of the chambers over the rear wing, and a 18th-century raised and fielded 2-panelled door to the other. A small 4-paned window with ovolo-moulded surround has been inserted in a large opening opposite the former. A 17th-century staircase leads to the attic over the rear wing.

The roof of the rear wing contains a single 17th-century truss with 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin, straight principals, and typical 17th-century dovetail style collar. The roof space over the inner end is not accessible. A single raised cruck truss stands over the lower end of the hall with 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin, and a steeply cranked morticed and tenoned collar. The entire roof structure over the hall, including battens, rafters and underside of thatch, is heavily smoke-blackened. The hall truss is closed on its lower side with a clay daub and stud partition, which is heavily smoke-blackened on the hall side only. The roof structure over the passage is less heavily smoke-blackened, but a curious feature is a distinct break in the degree of smoke-blackening about half a metre to the lower side of the stud partition. A row of early blacksmiths nails evenly spaced around the rafters suggests either that the closed partition may have been moved forward slightly to butt up against the hall truss at a later date, or that they represent an earlier curtain arrangement for controlling smoke permeating from the hall into the jettied chamber. The lower end has a single 17th-century truss with straight heavy principals, no collar, and 2 tiers of threaded purlins and ridge purlin.

Hawkridge came to the Aclands of Acland, Landkey by the marriage of John Akelin with Alicia, daughter and heiress of William Hawkridge of Hawkridge circa 1350. The Aclands do not appear to have resided at Hawkridge until about 1560, from which point it remained in their occupation apparently for 4 generations.