Brinscott Farmhouse Including Byre Attached At North East End

Brinscott Farmhouse with Attached Byre

A farmhouse with attached byre, probably dating from the early to mid 16th century and substantially remodelled in the late 17th century. The building has a 19th century service wing extension and later alterations. It is constructed of rendered stone rubble with slate roofs and gable ends; the rear service wing has a hipped roof. Two rendered stacks serve the building: one heating the inner room at the left gable end, and a large rendered rear lateral hall stack with offsets.

The plan reveals interesting development over time. The main range is laid out as a longhouse with the byre at the lower end, though it has been substantially altered. The through-passage, which originally ran from front to rear, is now fossilized with both external doorways blocked: the door into the hall to the left and the byre door to the right. The hall is of greater length than is commonly found in North Devon and was originally open to the roof. Evidence survives of a jettied chamber above the through-passage and lower end of the hall. Since the original roof trusses are no longer present, it is uncertain whether this jettied chamber forms part of the original structure, but it probably represents partial flooring of the hall dating from the early 17th century. The remainder of the hall was subsequently floored and the hall stack inserted, apparently in the late 17th century. At the same time a stair turret was presumably added to the rear of the hall, though this became enclosed when the rear service wing was built, probably in the late 18th or early 19th century. This later addition was likely accompanied by the insertion of a front door into the hall and general remodelling of the upper storey and replacement of roof trusses. A very thick partition wall separates the hall from the inner room, unusually rising only to first floor level. It is possible that re-roofing involved demolition of its upper part, but as the inner room is featureless with replaced ceiling joists and fireplace lintel, it remains unclear whether the inner room is integral to the original build or a later addition.

In the 19th century, a single-storey slated service outbuilding was added at right angles to the service wing, forming a small three-sided rear courtyard. A small originally lofted outbuilding was also added, projecting from the front left gable end with a blocked doorway through from the inner room. The byre was extended about two metres at the right gable end with walls and roof raised to create a loft.

The house is two storeys with a four-window range. All fenestration is 20th century, consisting of two-light casements. A slated gable roof covers the porch with a plank door. The byre has ventilation slits at its left end and a wide entrance doorway with timber lintel to the right. The rear service wing has a 19th century four-light casement with two panes per light.

Interior features include two cross ceiling beams to the upper end of the hall with cavetto-roll mouldings terminating in unusual ornate step stops. The upper end bressumer was replaced in the 19th century. Scratch-moulded joists survive, with some replacements at the upper end. The jetty ceiling beam at the lower end of the hall is chamfered and scroll-stopped on the hall side only. The joists below it are softwood replacements with different moulding from the rest of the hall ceiling; every fourth joust has ovolo flanking wide fillet mouldings, whilst intermediate joists are only roughly chamfered. The hall fireplace has two ovens to the rear wall and a seat recess with shaped head on the left-hand wall; the lintel was replaced in the 20th century. To the right of the fireplace is a recess with a cambered brick arch, possibly once serving as a smoking chamber. A four-panelled door leads to the inner room, whose fireplace has been reduced in width but retains its oven. The staircase to the rear of the hall retains 17th century timber treads. Principally 19th century joinery includes ledged plank doors to the upper storey. The roof trusses are 19th century rough-pegged trusses of flat pitch. The byre also has four rough-pegged trusses but with a slightly lower ridge than the main range. A drainage gutter runs down the central spine.

This is a particularly good example of a little-altered longhouse with the byre still in use. Comparable North Devon examples are particularly rare.