Barters

Barters is a house, probably dating from the 16th century with alterations in the 17th century and an extension in the 18th century. It was extensively modernised in the late 20th century. The house is constructed of rendered rubble walls with a slate roof, hipped at the lower right end and gabled at the left end. A projecting lateral stack is located at the front, and two projecting lateral stacks are at the rear, the left one rendered with a projecting area beside it.

Originally, the house likely had a three-room and through-passage plan, possibly with a screen passage between fireplaces located at the front and rear of the hall and in the front of the lower room. A newel staircase is situated at the front of the hall. This plan has been significantly altered over time, and it is believed that in the early 18th century the house was extended by one room at the higher end. It is thought that either at this stage or in the 19th century the house was divided into two dwellings. Modernisation in the 20th century resulted in the removal of wooden screens, explaining the current lack of internal divisions between the hall and the inner/lower rooms.

The front facade is asymmetrical, featuring a four-window arrangement. First-floor windows are single-light, late 20th-century casements; ground-floor windows are similar, except for a 20th-century bow window on the left-hand side. An extension begins approximately two-thirds of the way along the left side. A shallow rectangular stair projection with a gabled roof is centrally located, with a small original single-light window with a round-headed wooden frame in its right-hand wall. A lateral chimney stack projects to the right of centre. Three 20th-century plank doors are situated towards the left end, immediately to the left of the stair projection and at the right end.

The interior has been considerably altered by 20th-century modernisation, but it retains several 17th-century features. In the right-hand room, there is a chamfered cross beam with hollow step stops. The fireplace has a chamfered wooden lintel with similar stops. The central room, originally the hall or a lower room, has two opposing fireplaces towards its lower (right) end. The front wall fireplace has a high wooden lintel, chamfered with mason's mitres at either end. The directly opposite fireplace has a chamfered wooden lintel with hollow step stops. A heavy cross beam, chamfered with jewel and hollow step stops, is almost central in the room. The newel staircase is located at the front of the hall. The roof space was not inspected; however, evidence on the first floor suggests insubstantial straight principals, likely replacing earlier trusses when thatch was removed from the house in the early to mid-20th century. The house was likely one of the more important farmhouses in the village in the 17th century.