Harberton House

Harberton House is a house, originally a farmhouse, dating to approximately the late 16th century. It was remodelled in the 18th century, with later alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The house is constructed of roughcast stone rubble, and has a slate roof, gabled at the higher left end and half-hipped at the lower right end. Large, projecting, rendered lateral stacks are situated at the rear of the hall and inner room, with set-offs. A later lateral stack is also present at the rear of the lower end. The building follows a three-room and through-passage plan, with the lower end on the right side. The hall was likely never open to the roof, though a slightly blackened roof truss is visible over the higher end of the hall. A porch was probably added to the front of the passage in the 17th century; the ground level in front is lower, resulting in the doorway being approached by a flight of five steps. A lean-to outshut at the rear of the lower end dates to the 10th century. An adjoining barn (listed separately) was likely built in the 18th century. The exterior has an asymmetrical five-window range. Windows are primarily 2 and 3-light casements with glazing bars, set in small openings. A 19th-century panelled door leads to the passage, positioned to the right of centre, and is protected by a likely 17th-century open-fronted stone rubble porch with a lean-to scantle slate roof and a deeply chamfered wall plate inside on the right, with slate-topped seats and small windows on either side. This porch is accessed by the five-slate steps. To the left, a later raking buttress of rendered masonry is visible on the hall wall. The rear of the house features two large projecting rendered lateral stacks at the higher end and a 20th-century lean-to at the lower end. Internally, the partition between the hall and inner room has been removed. Solid wall partitions divide the passage from the hall and the passage from the lower end. The hall and inner room have deeply chamfered cross beams with hollow, slightly stepped stops. The rear lateral hall fireplace is blocked and contains a 20th-century fireplace. The rear lateral inner room fireplace has dressed slate jambs and a 20th-century timber lintel. The lower room has a roughly chamfered longitudinal ceiling beam. A blocked timber mullion window at the front of the hall is exposed internally. The passage rear doorway retains an old wooden frame and plank door. Two later stairs are present; one rises from the hall to the chamber above the inner room, and the other rises from the lower side of the passage. The roof features three trusses over the higher end, with threaded purlins and ridge, unchamfered cambered collars with double notched lapped joints, and mortised apex. The ridge piece, purlins, and rafters survive only over the higher bay. The truss over the higher end of the hall is slightly blackened on the hall side. The other trusses over the hall and lower end are likely 18th century, with halved and pegged cambered collars. The house was formerly known as Symonds Farm.