Ash Barton

Ash Barton is a large farmhouse, formerly a manor house, principally dating from the 17th century with a datestone of 1665, though a large courtyard outbuilding incorporates earlier work possibly from the 15th century. The building follows a courtyard plan, with the main range forming a crosswing of an intended larger house of L-shaped plan.

The main range is a 2-storey structure with a slate roof and post-medieval handmade clay ridge tiles with dressed stone coped gable ends. The south-facing gable end and adjoining porch are of dressed stone, while the west facade is mainly of random rubble with dressed stone surrounds to the openings. A cob and rubble shelter shed with three round rubble piers supporting a lean-to slated roof adjoins on the north side. Adjoining and parallel to, but offset to the rear of, the main range is a smaller 2-storey 17th-century building with a hipped slate roof, probably a kitchen range with access to cellars under the main house. A large 2-storey right-angled extension, probably dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, projects east forming the south block of the courtyard. On the west side of the courtyard stands a large early outbuilding which underwent extensive alterations in the 1980s and may have been the original dwelling.

The main range contains two large rooms to the front with an internal partition altered for insertion of a central staircase. A continuous passage to the rear includes an original staircase at the north end and an entrance porch to the south. A stack at the left gable end in ashlar has a moulded cap. A stone gablet sits at the apex of the right gable end. An offset stack in ashlar with a crenellated cap backing onto the rear passage heats the south-facing room.

The west facade originally had two impressive large window openings symmetrically placed with segmental relieving arches on each floor. The top left opening has a dressed stone infill alongside a window of two pairs of 8-pane horizontal sliding sashes. The top right opening is partially slate-hung in blocking above a 4-light casement with 3 panes each and a timber lintel. The bottom left retains a stone window surround now infilled with rubble and a 3-light timber window with 8 panes per sash inserted. The bottom right is blind. The upper floor windows flank an inserted horizontal timber sliding sash window with 8 panes each. A 17th-century doorway with chamfered stone jambs and hoodmould and labels below a relieving arch is present, now fitted with a 20th-century panelled door partly glazed. Two relieving arches to the cellar are visible. A small slated lean-to roof extends towards the left end.

The left gable end has a 2-light stone splayed mullion window with inserted fixed windows with glazing bars to each light, a relieving arch and dripstone with labels. The right gable end has a large blocked square window with the 1665 datestone above it, over a 4-light casement on each floor with relieving arches and dripstones. The upper floor has 8 panes per light; the lower floor is transomed with 9 panes over 12 panes in each light.

An ashlar porch with a gable-ended slate roof projects to the right, featuring a pointed arch rebuilt in brick surmounted by a small heraldic shield. Single quatrefoil panels appear to each side, and three small stone insets with heraldic designs are present on each internal side. The porch has a half-glazed door with a large overlight.

Interior Features

The main range displays large bolection-moulded plaster panelling to the two main rooms. The panelling on the rear wall of the north side has been pushed forward and reset on an inserted partition wall when the room was divided to make a rear kitchen. A fine 17th-century dog-leg staircase survives intact with treads, a moulded string and hand rails. Heavy turned newel posts with large acorn finials and turned balusters flank each flight. Two ancient doorways at the foot of the stairs include one to the principal room with an ovolo surround with foliated stops, and an original plank door with thick cover strips. The doorway under the stairs has an ovolo surround with ogee stops and an original plank door of two leaves divided horizontally with cover strips and square-headed nails. Two first-floor doorways also feature ovolo and stopped surrounds.

The long low extension to the right of the south gable end of the main range has a cambered, arched window range of three 2-light casements (6 panes each) over three transomed 3-light windows with 9 over 3 panes per light. The right end windows are offset.

Kitchen Block and Courtyard Buildings

The kitchen block to the rear was formerly three storeys. Its north gable end has a 4-light blocked mullion window with a stone lintel over a taller 4-light mullion, also blocked, with a relieving arch and hoodmould with returned ends. A brick-lined fireplace on the west wall has large stone jambs and is topped by a massive roughly chamfered beam.

The early adjoining building on the west side of the courtyard has had roof timbers replaced, a slate roof added, internal floors removed, and its north gable end partially weatherboarded during alterations in the 1980s. It is of rubble construction with dressed stone long and short work at the lower corners, but better quality coursed and dressed stone construction at the upper end where early features concentrate, suggesting substantial rebuilding at the lower end. The 2½-storey west side has a partially blocked opening over a plank door. On both sides towards the lower end, openings on each floor have truncated openings above at wall height. At the south gable end, openings on each floor are present above a door. External stone steps at the north gable end lead to a first-floor entrance with the left jamb infilled with rubble. A 3-light cavetto mullion window with a four-centred arch, early ferrimenta and a weathered hoodmould sits above an earlier 2-light cavetto-mullion window. Some brick infills are present. The east side upper end has a 2-light attic timber window with grill bars inserted in a former larger opening. Internal evidence of a first-floor fireplace with dressed stone jambs is visible below this window.