The Pound House, Leigh Grange And Leigh Barn

THE POUND HOUSE, LEIGH GRANGE AND LEIGH BARN

A complex of farm buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, located east of Leigh Barton (now called Leigh House), a Grade I listed farmhouse that was formerly a grange to Buckfast Abbey. The buildings have been converted to residential use in the early 21st century.

The complex comprises two rectangular ranges of detached buildings constructed in slatestone with slate roofs. To the south, furthest from the road, stands Leigh Barn, a presumed stable block. Opposite this, positioned at an angle, is a pair of buildings in line: The Pound House to the north-west (a former cow byre) and Leigh Grange to the south-east (a former bank barn).

Leigh Barn is a two-storey building under a gabled roof with a broad lean-to at each gable, part of the original plan. All openings are finished with flush stone voussoirs and now have 21st-century windows and doors. The left lean-to contains a window and door; the right lean-to has a door only. The centre elevation is symmetrical with a central door flanked by windows at ground level, and above is a taking-in door flanked by lunettes. The rear elevation features five square windows at ground floor level with an iron cross tie above.

The former barn and byre were constructed as two units. The lower end (The Pound House) is two storeys with three 21st-century doors under three square windows, all openings having segmental stone voussoir heads. The higher building has four windows and three doors to the ground floor, above which are ventilating slits and a taking-in door at each end; all openings feature stone voussour segmental heads. The eastern end spans two bays at single storey height and is marked by a stone gate post and round gate pier at the corners. The north elevation, built against the slope as a bank barn, displays an arrangement of openings, some of which have been altered.

The interiors were refurbished in the early 21st century to provide residential accommodation, with new floors, partition walls and doors throughout. Leigh Barn retains a 19th-century trussed roof. The Pound House preserves an 18th-century king post roof. Leigh Grange retains an 18th-century scissor-braced roof.

The buildings are documented on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1886 on their current footprint, though with different internal subdivision. The stable block to the south was originally connected to another building adjoining the south wing of the farmhouse, but is now detached. The construction of these farm buildings likely occurred in the 18th century, coinciding with Phase Eight of development at the adjacent farmhouse, when several minor alterations took place and possibly on the site of earlier structures.