West Molland Barton

West Molland Barton

West Molland Barton is a substantial farmhouse with complex origins, built in its present form circa 1700–1720, with an attached stable block dated 1723. The house was constructed for the Catholic Courtenay family, probably incorporating an earlier core, and underwent further remodelling in the early to mid-18th century. Minor alterations followed in the early 19th century and later.

The building exhibits varied masonry reflecting its phases of construction. The early 18th-century front features alternate bands of tooled dressed large sandstone (almost of ashlar quality) and smaller dressed sandstone blocks. Early 19th-century work at the rear of the dining room is also almost of ashlar quality. Other sections use squared and coursed sandstone with some more finely-jointed bands, and coursed sandstone rubble. Minor early 19th-century additions employ tooled bordered snecked dressed sandstone. The roofs are Welsh slate, hipped to the east and over the staircase projection to the west, with stone stacks.

Plan and Development

The early 18th-century front range faces north and probably developed from an earlier three-room and through-passage plan. It comprises a central through passage with the dining room to the left (probably a former service room), and a small drawing room and large drawing room to the right (probably corresponding to the former hall and inner room respectively). Early 18th-century remodelling included rebuilding the front wall to the right of and including the through passage, extending the right-hand room to the rear with a staircase projection to the right, and pushing out the rear wall of the dining room to form a square room with a large external lateral stack.

A probable former 17th-century range (the present service range) adjoins at right angles to the left and projects to the rear. This follows a three-room and through-passage plan facing west, consisting of a through passage with scullery and store (former service room) to the right and kitchen to the left (in the position of the former hall), with a lateral stack to the rear (east) and an old staircase to its right, and with dairy and larder beyond to the left (former inner room). The north end wall of this range, including the front wall of the dining room (former service room to front range), was rebuilt probably in the mid-18th century, as indicated by lower eaves and a stepped joint to the front.

Most windows on the circa 1700 front (except three on the first floor) were blocked in the early to mid-18th century, probably because they faced north. Most of the rear wing was probably remodelled also in the 18th century and further partly refenestrated (see blocked windows) in the mid to late 19th century.

A probably late 17th-century gabled wing projects at right angles from the rear service wing to the east, incorporating a gable-end wash house on the ground floor and probably formerly with a chapel in the attic. The chapel in the attic was probably added in the early 18th century when the eaves were raised, as evidenced by differing masonry in the gable end and a small arched recess to the left of the window, possibly associated with the chapel. Probably 19th-century lean-to sheds adjoin to the north and east of the chapel wing, and a small lean-to was added in the angle of the staircase wing in the early 19th century (see masonry).

The exact development of the house, especially the early period, is not entirely clear. The layout consisting of what appear to be two former three-room and through-passage plan ranges joining at right angles is unusual. The front range is probably the earlier (although also the most rebuilt) and probably formerly faced south, with the principal elevation moved around to the north only in the early 18th century.

Exterior

The house is two storeys with the chapel wing of two storeys and attic. The asymmetrical north front comprises the circa 1700–1720 part to the right and the later 18th-century block to the left.

The right-hand part has a coved cornice and a slightly asymmetrical front of one-to-four bays. It features boxed 18-pane glazing bar sashes of circa 1700 (each leaf with three panes across and three up), with wide glazing bars, crown glass and moulded wooden cornices above the frames. These circa 1700 windows survive except for three first-floor windows blocked in the early to mid-18th century with dressed sandstone almost of ashlar quality. An inserted first-floor mid-18th-century 12-pane boxed glazing bar sash sits between the first and second blocked windows from the right. A probably early 19th-century four-panelled door to the left (lower two panels beaded flush, upper two raised and fielded) has a painted wooden lintel. The doorway was reduced in width at some time, probably in the early to mid-18th century (see straight joint to left and lintel projecting further to left). A carved stone coat of arms of the Courtenay family sits above the door between the first and second first-floor windows from the left, set in a recess with a banner inscription below (partly illegible at the time of survey in August 1987) and stone coving above.

The mid-18th-century part to the left has a cavetto-moulded plinth and three bays, mainly with three-light wooden casements with chamfered stone cills and dressed stone arches with raised keystones (made up of large blocks of stone with smaller inscribed voussoirs). The 18th-century left-hand ground-floor window has ovolo-moulded mullions and frame with square-leaded lights with stanchions and saddle bars (the window lights the dairy). The rendered blind first-floor left-hand window is without a cill. The central ground-floor window and two right-hand first-floor windows are 19th and 20th-century wooden casements. The right-hand ground-floor window (lighting the dining room) is an inserted mid to late 18th-century 16-pane (each leaf with four panes along and two up) glazing bar sash (note the line of reveal of the former window in the wall to the right).

The rear of the former hall range to the left has a large external stone stack with chamfered offsets, weathering to a chamfered cap, and a raised stone sundial on a shaft with wrought-iron gnomon. A first-floor eight-paned horned sash with painted wooden lintel sits to the right of the stack (with evidence of a blocked window to the right—see straight joint above doorway), and a ground-floor small-paned wooden cross window below with stone flat arch. The rear through-passage doorway to the right has a flat stone-arched head and a mid to late 19th-century margin light half-glazed door with three lower panels.

The projecting early 18th-century (see straight joint in corner to right) front wall of the dining room range to the right has a small hip over the left-hand corner and slate hanging to a small piece of gable-end to the left. A large central stone stack has chamfered offsets, weathering and chamfered cap. First-floor and ground-floor boxed eight-pane glazing bar sashes (four panes to each leaf) sit to the left of the stack, that to the first floor with wooden lintel and that to the ground floor with dressed stone flat arch.

The 18th-century gabled wing projecting at right angles at the left-hand end has a first-floor glazing bar sash with horns (probably a replacement of an 18th-century sash) and 20th-century lead weathering over a wooden lintel. A probably early 20th-century French casement with four-pane glazed upper part and two beaded-flush lower panels, a two-part rectangular overlight and flanking full-height eight-pane glazing bar sashes with horns are protected by a three-bay flat-roofed wooden porch consisting of tapered square posts with stone pads and moulded capitals, and frieze and cornice above. The porch has a stone-flagged floor.

The left-hand return front (west) of the wing and hall range shows the staircase projecting to the left with a tall probably early 19th-century eight-pane glazing bar sash with margin lights and dressed stone segmental-arched head. A catslide roof covers a small one-storey lean-to in the angle to the right.

The west front of the rear wing has a first-floor late 20th-century boxed four-pane sash with wooden lintel to the left (formerly a small-paned glazing bar sash of circa 1700), a ground-floor probably early 20th-century three-light mullioned and transomed wooden casement to the left, and a probably early 20th-century wooden cross window to the right (formerly a door—see straight joints below, and also suggestion of a straight joint to the right, possibly evidence of a former window), both with roughly-dressed stone flat-arched heads. The through-passage doorway between ground-floor windows has a 20th-century boarded door and wooden lintel. A 19th-century doorway to the right has a boarded door, beaded pegged frame and dressed segmental stone-arched head with chamfered raised keystone. Evidence of earlier fenestration includes blocked ground-and first-floor windows to the left (partly obscured by a later wall in front of the dining room—see straight joint in corner), a blocked first-floor window above the door and a possible further blocked window to its right. The gable end to the front has a 16-pane glazing bar sash (each leaf with four panes along and two up) with wooden lintel.

The rear (east) of the service wing has an internal lateral stack with weatherings. That part to the right of the chapel wing has a first-floor 19th-century four-pane sash to the left with brick segmental-arched head, a first-floor two-light wooden casement to the right with stone flat-arched head, and a ground-floor 19th-century three-light wooden casement to the right (lighting the dairy) with leaded square panes, stanchions and saddle bars, wrought-iron bars to opening lights and stone flat-arched head. That part to the left of the chapel wing has a ground-floor window to the left.

The chapel wing projects to the east of the service range. The gable end to the front has a two-light wooden attic casement with brick segmental-arched head and a probably 17th-century round-arched chamfered recess to the left of the window with hoodmould, possibly formerly returned. The left-hand (south) side has a first-floor small-paned three-light wooden casement with wooden lintel and small ground-floor two-light wooden casement also with wooden lintel. The right-hand (north) side has a ground-floor boarded door to the right with wooden lintel. The ground-floor lean-to in front has three doorways with brick dressings and brick segmental heads. The lean-to returns to the gable end with stone segmental-arched doorways. The wing formerly had an external stack in the corner with the service range, to the north-west (see rendered area).

A cobbled entrance courtyard lies to the north.

Interior

The through passage has reused 18th-century panelling and an 18th-century stone-flagged floor in a geometrical pattern, consisting of large white stone flags with smaller square black stones at the corners.

The small drawing room to the right (former hall) has early 18th-century bolection-moulded panelling with moulded dado rail. An early 18th-century chimneypiece to the rear wall consists of a moulded architrave with marble slip, and an overmantel above consisting of a bolection-moulded panel with raised and fielded centre, flanking pilasters with raised and fielded panelling, and moulded cornice above. The window to the left of the fireplace has panelled inner reveals. Two mid-18th-century cupboards in the front wall (blocked former windows) each have two doors of three raised and fielded panels.

The drawing room to the far right has bolection-moulded panelling (raised centre to each panel), tall panels above and low panels below, with moulded dado rail and moulded cornice. A later fireplace has a moulded architrave and parts of reused bolection panelling and an overmantel with raised panel and flanking pilasters with raised and fielded panels. Two mid-18th-century cupboards in the front wall (blocked former windows) each have two doors of three raised and fielded panels. Wide double doors in the right-hand wall leading to the staircase each have three bolection-moulded panels.

An early 18th-century three-flight square-well staircase with landings has an open string with moulded nosings, turned balusters (two per tread) and swept handrail wreathed to the foot newel. An 18th-century five-panelled door sits under the stairs. An 18th-century archway at the top of the stairs has flanking pilasters, moulded cornices and a round arch with key block.

The dining room to the left of the through passage has an 18th-century five-panelled door and an 18th-century cupboard with raised and fielded panels. The dairy has low slate shelves, barred windows and a wooden screen between the dairy and adjoining larder, with slats above. The kitchen has a probably early 17th-century plastered deep-chamfered cross beam (further similar cross beams appear in the rear wing), and former servants' bells. The old staircase opens off from the kitchen adjacent to the stack.

First-floor rooms to the front range have early 18th-century five-panelled doors (large upper and lower raised and fielded panels and two small raised and fielded panels to the centre) with moulded architraves. The bedroom over the small drawing room (former hall) has early 18th-century raised and fielded panelling with moulded dado rail and moulded cornice; the central panel of each wall breaks forward. Five-panelled doors are fitted throughout. The fireplace to the rear has an early 18th-century bolection-moulded architrave and a 19th-century cast-iron grate with tiled reveals. The window to the left of the fireplace has panelled shutters and a window seat with opening top, which has H-hinges with shaped ends. The front windows have window seats too.

The dressing room to the left (over the through passage) has early 18th-century raised and fielded panelling, and a panelled window seat with lift-up top. Eighteenth-century cupboards along the right-and left-hand side walls consist of doors with raised and fielded panels, some with small-paned glazed top parts, and H-hinges, some with shaped ends. One large cupboard has H-L hinges.

The principal bedroom in the rear wing has an 18th-century door with six raised and fielded panels and H-hinges, and the rear room has an 18th-century two-panelled door. Eighteenth-century stairs from the principal bedroom in the rear wing lead up to the putative chapel in the attic, with windows at the foot, 19th-century moulded handrail and door at the foot.

The 18th-century roofs show two phases over the front range. The right-hand end of the roof (circa 1700–1720) comprises six bays, with trusses consisting of principal rafters with corbelled and pegged mortice and tenoned apices and pegged collars, and two pairs of staggered purlins. The left-hand end of the roof (mid-18th century) comprises five bays with trusses consisting of principal rafters and tie-beams, and three pairs of purlins. Servants' bell wire is visible. A plastered stud wall divides each part of the front roof. A three-bay roof over the rear wing has trusses consisting of principal rafters and pegged lapped collars. A two-bay roof over the chapel wing has trusses consisting of principal rafters and lapped collars. An 18th-century two-panelled door from the probable former chapel on the attic room into the roofspace over the rear wing has H-L hinges and moulded architrave. Old floorboards survive in the first-floor and attic rooms.

Historical Context

West Molland Barton was the family home of the Catholic Courtenay family until 1748, which would explain the possibility of a private chapel. It was for the Courtenays that the early 18th-century remodelling was carried out. Although with earlier origins, the building is a fine example of an early 18th-century farmhouse, especially notable for its contemporary interiors.