Shapcott Barton

Shapcott Barton is a farmhouse dating from around 1600, located on Shapcott Lane near Knowstone. The building has undergone alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The exterior is constructed of roughly coursed dressed stone, rendered at the lower end with some cob to the rear. It is roofed in slate with a gable end to the right and half-hipped to the left. A stone rubble stack with drip stands at the right end. The rear lateral stone rubble hall stack has been heightened in brick and is enclosed by a rear wing. An axial 20th-century stack serves the lower end, and the outer two of the three gable-ended rear wings have capped first floor stacks. The building presents a 2-storey elevation with a 5-window range. The porch is a deep projecting structure of stone rubble with a lean-to slate roof. Originally this porch was 2 storeys and gabled, as evidenced by a blocked first floor doorway visible in the front wall of the principal chamber. The fenestration includes 19th-century work intact to the right of the porch, and 20th-century fenestration of similar style to the lower end. To the left of the porch is a 3-light casement with 9 panes per light and a 2-light window with 6 panes above a 4-light window with 12 panes per light, alongside a 20th-century door. To the right of the porch are a 4-light casement and two 3-light casements above two further 3-light casements, all with 12 panes per light. A 17th-century 4-light ovolo mullion window to the rear stair projection retains rectangular leaded lights in 2 of the lights. The inner door surround of the porch is an impressive double ovolo-moulded straight-headed 17th-century example with weathered rams horn stops.

The plan is a 3-room-and-through-passage arrangement, with the lower end to the left. Three adjoining gable-ended rear wings extend to the rear. The central wing, positioned to the rear of the hall or inner room, houses the staircase. The wing to the rear of the inner room served as the dairy, while that to the rear of the hall likely functioned as a salting-house or service room. Both outer wings contained heated first floor chambers.

The building appears to be largely of single-phase construction, though in the 19th century some joinery was replaced, including the staircase. Around 1956, the lower end, which had previously served as a cider-house and stables, was converted to form part of the dwelling and is now separately occupied.

The interior of the lower end has been entirely altered in the 20th century. The through passage and hall partition on the passage side is covered with clearly re-used 17th-century small panelling. Two panels to the right of the doorway bear Renaissance carved decoration, while some to the left have incised lozenge ornament. The hall features a very fine, elaborately moulded framed ceiling forming 20 panels. Four panels at the upper end retain part of their original plaster decoration, consisting of moulded lozenges with foliated sprays at the tips and small central pendants, while 2 panels retain complete decoration. The remaining panels at the lower end appear to retain old plaster, suggesting that only the 15 panels at the upper end of the hall were originally decorated, with those below the central cross ceiling beam always plain. The hall fireplace has a chamfered lintel with hollow step stops, dressed stone jambs, and an original bread oven door (the oven itself has been demolished). To the right of the fireplace is a fine doorway and door providing access to the rear stair turret, with a double ovolo-moulded surround adorned with impressive large foliated stops. The door itself is of 4 planks with studded cover strips to the hall side, forming 16 panels, and scratch-moulded ledges to the rear. Between the hall and inner room is a plank and muntin screen, plastered on the inner room side, with deep chamfered muntins with run-out stops and 8 panels. A doorway at the left end is exposed on the hall side. The window bench appears to have been carried round to form the dais bench, with some peg-holes visible in the muntins. The door surround has been cased in the 19th century. A creamery occupies the front wall. The parlour, which has a 20th-century ceiling replacement, features dressed stone jambs, herringbone slatework to the rear of the hearth, and a chamfered timber lintel to the fireplace. Panelled shutters remain in the window recess. The dairy has been altered in the 20th century. In the 19th century, the original staircase was removed and replaced with a much narrower dog-leg stair. A chamfered ceiling beam survives in the service room to the rear of the hall. Twin doorways at the head of the stairs access the chambers over the inner room and hall; the 17th-century surrounds appear to have been cased in the 19th century. The right-hand doorway retains its original door with scratch-moulded frame and ledges and studded cover strips forming 12 panels. The chamber over the dairy has a similar 17th-century door with ovolo-moulded jambs. A chamfered lintel serves the chamber fireplace, while the hall chamber fireplace has an ovolo-moulded lintel. The hall chamber preserves decorative moulded plasterwork frieze at the upper end only, featuring a repeating pattern of winged horses.

Some 17th-century roof trusses with straight principals, trenched purlins, and originally morticed and tenoned collars survive, but the roof has been heavily remodelled in the 19th and 20th centuries. There is no sign of smoke-blackening to the timbers.