Barn And Stables Approximately 2 Metres North Of Higher Corndon Farmhouse

SX 68 NE CHAGFORD

3/28 Barn and stables approximately - 2 metres north of Higher Corndon Farmhouse - II

Barn, former Dartmoor longhouse, and adjoining stables. C16 or C17, stables added in C19. Earliest work of large blocks of roughly-coursed granite ashlar, rest granite stone rubble with large dressed quoins; disused granite stack; corrugated asbestos and corrugated iron roof (formerly thatch). Plan: L-shaped building. The longer block backing onto the lane and facing south- east is now used as a barn and cow byre but was formerly a 3-room-and-through- passage plan Dartmoor longhouse. It is built down a gentle slope with the inner room uphill at the left (north-east) end. The outer walls narrow noticeably at this end and the inner room is unheated, maybe it was a dairy. The hall has a disused stack backing onto the passage and a newel stair turret projecting from the rear wall. The rear passage doorway is now blocked. Shippon with hayloft over at right end. In C19 a stable block was added at right angles projecting forward from the inner room end. Former longhouse is now 2 storeys but probably originated as an open hall house. Exterior: the only surviving front window is the ground floor hall window towards the left end (close to the stables). It is a C19 casement with glazing bars. To right is the front passage doorway with the cow door immediately beyond. Both have solid oak frames, probably C18. At the right end a slit window to the shippon and a hayloft loading hatch. Roof is hipped to left and gable-ended to right. Much of the right end has been rebuilt (the gable with C20 breeze blocks), but one slit window survives to left and there are 2 drain holes. The rear wall is completely blind except for a collapsed section of wall at the right (inner room) end which is used as a loading hatch. The blockings of the rear passage doorway and a ground floor hall window are discernable and other blocked features could probably be discovered by more careful examination. The newel stair turret projects from the centre. At the right end is an Edward VIII post box. The front of the stables contains 2 stable-type doors and a hayloft loading hatch, all with C19 joinery, and its roof is gable-ended. Interior: the partition between inner room and hall has been demolished at ground and first floor level. Inner room has a C17 plain chamfered crossbeam. Hall crossbeam is soffit-chamfered with runout stops. The hall fireplace is granite ashlar with a plain surround. On the lower side of the passage there is a blind rubble partition up to first floor level. The shippon hayloft is carried on roughly-finished crossbeams. It still has the shippon drain. Roof of C20 A-frame trusses. This barn is an interesting survival of an unmodernised Dartmoor longhouse.

Listing NGR: SX6913285238