Westacott Barton

Westacott Barton is a farmhouse of late 15th or early 16th century date with late 16th century alterations and late 16th, 17th and 18th century additions. The walls are rendered cob and stone rubble. The roof is thatched, hipped at the left-hand end and front of the outbuilding wing, and gabled to the rear wing, with a 20th century rendered stack at the right-hand end, a 19th century rendered axial stack, and a very unusual 17th century brick stack with pilasters and moulded cornice to the left of centre.

The plan shows very complex development. Originally probably a 3-room and through passage plan, though the passage location is unclear as it may have been moved. The original range was open to the roof from end to end with a central hearth to the hall. In the late 16th century the house was floored and rooms rearranged probably with a passage towards the right-hand end and one room beyond it. The arrangement to the left of the passage is more uncertain - there are presently 3 rooms but the left-hand one is likely a 17th century addition. The 2 central rooms are divided by an axial fireplace heating the right-hand room, probably a 19th century insertion, whereas the room to its left has a fireplace with the 17th century brick stack above. There must either have been 1 large heated room to the left of the passage or else 2 rooms with an unheated central service room, possibly with a passage to its rear. Probably at the same time as these alterations, a high quality parlour wing was added at the rear of the passage. An adjoining stair wing for a framed staircase was added slightly later when plaster ceilings were inserted on both floors of the wing, dating to about 1600. In the early to mid 17th century a 1-room heated addition was made at the left-hand end. In the 18th century a linhay range was built on at the front of it. A 19th century outshut was added at the rear.

The exterior is 2 storeys with an asymmetrical 5-window front and an outbuilding wing projecting from the left-hand end. The 2 left-hand first floor windows and the left-hand ground floor window are late 20th century small-paned casements with top opening lights. Otherwise there are early 20th century small-paned casements on the first floor and early 19th century 20-pane hornless sashes to the ground floor. Two identical 20th century part-glazed gabled porches are positioned left and right of centre. The outbuilding wing, originally open-fronted, has 2 20th century plank doors to the left and a 20th century arched doorframe to the right leading to a passage running from front to back of the wing. On one side this passage reuses some 17th century panelling.

The parlour wing at the rear of the right-hand end features a remarkable 10-light original wooden mullion window with central king mullion, richly moulded in its frame with ovolo-moulded mullions. Above it is a similar smaller 5-light window with gable above. To its left is a small simpler 17th century 2-light wood mullion window with old leaded panes. At the rear is a stair turret adjoining the inner face of the wing with a separate roof and a 19th century outshut to its right.

The interior contains high quality late 16th or early 17th century features. The most notable are the 2 decorative plaster ceilings in the rear wing. The ground floor ceiling has a geometric single-ribbed pattern of kite-shaped panels with angle sprays and Tudor roses. In the chamber above is a canopied ceiling with a similar design distinguished by a central pendant at which the lines converge. Both ceilings date from Period One of Devon Plasterwork (1550-1600), and the design of the first floor ceiling is very similar to one at the nearby Cottles Barton. Above the ground floor ceiling are apparently chamfered beams which strongly suggest that the ceiling is an insertion. A 17th century wooden doorframe leads into this room.

The room to the left of the passage has early 17th century panelling on its partition wall to the passage and also along part of its front wall. It also has a large 19th century kitchen fireplace with brick jambs and wooden lintel. The room to its left has 2 deep chamfered axial beams and a fireplace with a wooden lintel with pyramid stops to the chamfer. The left-hand room has chamfered cross beams with ogee stops and a small fireplace with cambered wooden lintel which has hollow step stops to the chamfer.

The 17th century roof over the left-hand end room has straight principals which have collars halved on with notched joints. The original range retains its smoke-blackened medieval roof - the feet and trusses are plastered over but some are curved. Over the left-hand end the original smoke-blackened thatch survives. The roof structure at this end was not available for full inspection at the time of survey.

This is an important house with a medieval core, most interesting for its high quality late 16th and 17th century remodelling with particularly good plasterwork. Externally, its elaborate 17th century brick stack is a very unusual early example in Devon.