Melhuish Barton

Melhuish Barton is a farmhouse dating from around 1700, possibly a remodelling of an earlier structure. It is built of rendered cob and has an asbestos slate roof that is gabled at both ends, with brick stacks at the ends and a rendered axial stack. The layout consists of three rooms with a through passage; the lower end is to the left, the hall is heated by a stack at the opposite end from the passage, and the inner room to the right is heated by the right end stack. A passage along the rear wall of the right-hand rooms connects to the through passage and leads to a rear stair turret, which is likely a 20th-century addition.

The building is two storeys high and features an asymmetrical five-window front with regular fenestration. To the left of centre, there is a wide six-panelled front door with a rectangular fanlight above it, leading into the passage. The first-floor window to the right is a small-pane, two-light casement, while the other first-floor windows consist of three 16-pane and one 20-pane hornless sashes. On the ground floor, there are two and three-light casements, each with three panes per light.

Inside, the through passage is unusually wide and retains some joinery details from around 1700. There is an early 18th-century stair with turned balusters and a ramped handrail. The ground floor room on the left features a stopped chamfered cross beam from around 1700 and a fixed bench against the front wall. There are 20th-century grates that may be concealing earlier features. The roof space has not been inspected. Overall, Melhuish Barton is a large house from around 1700 or earlier, notable for its attractive front elevation.