Orchard Barton

Farmhouse. Dating from the 17th century, with alterations in the late 19th century. Constructed of stone rubble with slate roofs; the main block's roof is covered with asbestos slates. There are two large lateral stone stacks to the rear, one rendered lateral stack, and a 20th-century brick shaft to the right crosswing. Originally, the plan consisted of a main block, two rooms wide, possibly with a through passage, and left and right crosswings forming an H-plan. The site slopes steeply to the left, resulting in the left-hand crosswing having a ground floor level lower than the main block. Significant alterations were made in the late 19th century by Sabine Baring-Gould, who removed numerous 17th-century features to Lew House, Lew Trenchard, now the Manor Hotel. The granite mullions of the windows were removed, and the original staircase was likely replaced with a steep stair in the central passage of the main block. In the 20th century, the left-hand crosswing, used as a servants' wing, was adapted for use as a calfhouse. The front elevation has two storeys and a 3:1 window arrangement; the main block is hipped at the left end and roughly symmetrical, while the crosswings are hipped at the ends. The left-hand crosswing rises only one storey to the front and has a 20th-century entrance. The main block features a wide central front door with studs and a rectangular fanlight. A 20th-century two-light casement with glazing bars, set under a flat stone arch, is positioned above the front door. Other windows on the main block are 4-light 20th-century casements with glazing bars, also under flat stone arches. The right-hand crosswing has one 20th-century casement on the front. Numerous blocked windows are visible at the rear and on the left return of the left-hand crosswing. Interior features include surviving plaster friezes and a moulded cornice on the ground floor of the left-hand side and the left-hand crosswing. The ground floor of the crosswing retains a large 17th-century fireplace with hollow-chamfered granite jambs and a chamfered stopped lintel. A fireplace in the main block reuses hollow-chamfered jambs originally from the left-hand crosswing. Roof trusses are collar rafter type with tie beams and pegged joints; those in the right-hand crosswing are numbered. Traces of a moulded cornice are visible in the roof space. Sabine Baring-Gould owned Orchard Barton in the 19th century, and the missing features of the house were likely incorporated into Lew House. A late 19th-century photograph of Orchard Barton, in the possession of the owner, shows the granite mullioned windows intact.