Barn At Nethercott

A barn, likely originating in the 16th century, with modifications in the 17th and 20th centuries. Constructed of rubble and cob, with concrete block repairs and insertions, the barn has a corrugated iron roof. Originally a longhouse, it features a through passage towards the east end and an apparent two-room dwelling at the west end. There is a possibility the original entrance, now from the south, was located on the north side and later altered due to the creation of a new access lane. The left end is hipped over a rebuilt stone wall, while the right end, which includes the remains of a large external stack and a gabled form, was probably modified to incorporate a fireplace but originally served as an animal house. The south front is in two storeys and has various openings, including a 2-light 19th-century casement over a square opening in the former doorway on the left, and a plank door far left. A section rebuilt in concrete block contains a plank door, and to the right are two square openings, one at each level. A stretch of the stone walling is now faced with corrugated sheeting, incorporating two doors, with some exposed stone and cob at a corner. The return side, to the left of the stack, has a 2-light diagonal mullioned casement with original board shelters, blocked within by cob, over a smaller square light, also blocked. The north side consists of two-thirds cob and one-third concrete block, set above the lane leading to Nethercott.

Inside, the roof is an A-frame replacement from the 19th century, and the floors are mainly stone setts. The entrance to the throughway leads to a room with a bressumer on stone cheeks to the fireplace; the cambered bressumer supports cob walling. To the left of the throughway is a central stack, now cut back below the ridge, with a lofty bressumer fire containing a cloam oven, with dressed stone cheeks forming canted sides to the fire, and the remaining flue in cob. Centrally within this main room is a transverse beam, approximately 275mm deep and 300mm wide, with an ovolo mould, supporting floor joists, most of which are now missing. The south end of this beam rests on a large, roughly rounded stone pier built out from the outer wall. A small room lies to the west, previously with access but now approached from the outside. Although the internal partitions are only partial-height, and the outer walls are patched, along with a late roof construction, this remains a rare survival in North Devon of a longhouse structure, and as such holds considerable historical interest. The current owners have compiled extensive documentation covering the history of the farm.