Upcott Barton And Outbuildings Adjoining To Rear

Upcott Barton and Outbuildings Adjoining to Rear

This farmhouse and adjoining outbuildings, shown on Ordnance Survey maps as Higher Upcott, probably dates from the 16th century but has been heavily remodelled in the late 18th or early 19th century, with further additions of the same period. The building is rendered, probably over stone rubble and cob, with a gable-ended scantle slate roof. Stone lateral stack stands to the rear, while end stacks feature early 19th-century red brick top stages. Stone rubble and cob additions at the rear are covered with Welsh-slate and asbestos-slate roofs, hipped over the end of the rear wing, and have stone stacks.

The original 16th-century plan comprises a three-room arrangement with through passage, facing south with ground falling to the left. The hall contained a large external stack to the rear; to its left lies the through passage leading to a former service room with integral end stack, while to the right is a former inner room also with integral end stack. The hall stack probably formerly heated an open hall, evidenced by a high-arched fireplace. A parallel kitchen range was added to the rear of the hall and passage, probably in the 18th century, with integral end stack to the right. Early 19th-century remodelling introduced a new principal entrance and staircase between the hall and former inner room, with a porch probably added to the through-passage entrance at the same time. A service wing projecting at right angles to the rear of the left-hand end was probably added in the late 18th or early 19th century, with an integral end stack. A small service courtyard, enclosed at the rear by a range of outbuildings to the north and a wall to the east, also dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. Later 19th-century alterations included the insertion of a second staircase to the rear of the through passage in the parallel rear range.

The building is two storeys. The front elevation features early 19th-century guttering with lion masks and an early 19th-century square wooden bellcote in the ridge, off-centre to the left, with louvres and tented lead cap. The front is almost symmetrically fenestrated, with five windows to the first floor and four to the ground floor. Most windows are early 19th-century glazing bar sashes: 12-pane to the first floor (lower leaves of 4 x 2 panes and upper leaves of 4 x 2 panes) and 16-pane to the ground floor (each leaf of 4 x 2 panes). The left-hand ground floor window has been replaced by a mid-19th-century six-pane window (3 panes to each leaf). Two central ground-floor windows light the hall. All front windows have slate cills.

A segmental-headed passage doorway between the first and second windows from the left has a probably early 19th-century nail-studded boarded door with beaded wooden frame. A gabled porch with flagged floor projects forward, with a small inserted window to its left. An inserted early 19th-century doorway between the first and second windows from the right has an 8-panelled door (lower 2 panels reeded flush and upper 6 panels moulded) with moulded architrave. This doorway features a recessed porch with wooden doorcase comprising unfluted Doric half columns supporting frieze and cornice. An old sundial with wrought-iron gnomon sits on the wall above the porch. The left-hand gable end has a first-floor boxed 12-pane glazing bar sash. A small early 19th-century margin-light small-pane wooden fixed window to the rear lights the top of the early 19th-century staircase. A large rear lateral stack with chamfered offsets rises at the back.

The parallel kitchen range to the rear has a first-floor 12-paned glazing bar sash (a later replacement) and ground-floor 16-pane glazing bar sash. A segmental-headed early 19th-century nail-studded boarded door to the right leads to a slightly projecting porch with a first-floor 18th-century glazing bar sash. The courtyard side of the rear wing features a probably late 18th or early 19th-century three-light leaded wooden casement (with central opening metal light) and two ground-floor windows of the same date, later reglazed. The outbuildings at the rear of the courtyard contain a row of pigeon holes in the loft and a ground-floor late 18th or early 19th-century three-light wooden window (later reglazed). A through carriageway to the left, with wooden lintels, has a pair of large boarded doors to the rear. A wall enclosing the east side of the courtyard has a boarded doorway.

The interior underwent thorough remodelling in the late 18th or early 19th century. Much circa 1800 joinery is present throughout, including doors with 6 raised and fielded panels and moulded architraves. A large stone fireplace, possibly rebuilt, stands to the rear of the hall with a high dressed stone segmental arch and 2 bread ovens. A blocked doorway lies to the left of the fireplace. Probably 19th-century matchboarded dado is present, with splayed reveals to the front windows also matchboarded. An early 19th-century cupboard in the right-hand wall has a pair of 2-panelled doors.

The wide through passage features a stone-flagged floor. Reused 17th-century panelling along the right-hand wall has been cut down for use as dado panelling. The left-hand ground-floor room contains circa 1800 cupboards with raised-and-fielded panelled doors, moulded architrave and moulded cornice. An inserted circa 1800 staircase between the hall and right-hand ground-floor room has an open string, stick balusters (2 per tread), columnar foot newel and swept handrail. The right-hand end room has a 17th or 18th-century stone fireplace with later surround and circa 1800 panelled window shutters. A mid to late 19th-century staircase to the rear of the through passage has stick balusters and turned newel.

Bedrooms contain late 18th or early 19th-century joinery including 6-panelled doors. The roof over the hall range is late 19th-century, with machine-sawn king-post trusses. Probably late 18th-century trusses span the rear wing. Formerly, an old chapel was attached to the house, but nothing now remains.