Barn And Stables Approximately 2 Metres North Of Higher Corndon Farmhouse

This is a barn and stables, likely dating to the 16th or 17th century, with stables added in the 19th century. It stands approximately 2 metres north of Higher Corndon Farmhouse. Originally a Dartmoor longhouse, the building is now L-shaped. The main block, facing south-east and running along the lane, was initially a three-room-and-through-passage longhouse. It is constructed from large blocks of roughly-coursed granite ashlar, with the remainder of the structure built from granite stone rubble and large dressed quoins. The roof is covered with corrugated asbestos and iron, replacing a former thatch covering.

The longhouse is built down a gentle slope, with the inner room situated uphill at the north-east end. The walls noticeably narrow at this end, and the inner room was likely unheated, potentially used as a dairy. A disused granite stack backs onto the central passage, and a newel stair turret projects from the rear wall. The rear passage doorway is now blocked. A shippon with a hayloft is located at the right end of the original longhouse. In the 19th century, a stable block was added at right angles, projecting forward from the inner room end. The longhouse likely began as an open hall house.

The sole surviving front window is a 19th-century casement with glazing bars, situated near the stables. To its right is a front passage doorway. Both features are framed with solid oak, probably dating to the 18th century; a slit window is present to the shippon, along with a hayloft loading hatch. The roof is hipped on the left side and gable-ended on the right. Sections of the right gable have been rebuilt using 20th-century breeze blocks, although one slit window survives, alongside two drain holes. The rear wall is largely blank, except for a collapsed section at the right (inner room) end, now used as a loading hatch. Blocked features, including a rear passage doorway and a ground-floor hall window, are still visible, suggesting further features may be discoverable. An Edward VIII post box is located at the right end. The stable block features two stable doors and a hayloft loading hatch, all with 19th-century joinery, and has a gable-ended roof.

Inside, the partition between the inner room and hall has been removed at both ground and first floor levels. The inner room contains a 17th-century plain chamfered crossbeam, while the hall crossbeam has a soffit-chamfered edge with run-out stops. The hall fireplace remains, featuring granite ashlar and a plain surround. A blind rubble partition rises to first floor level on the lower side of the passage. The shippon hayloft is supported by roughly-finished crossbeams, incorporating the original shippon drain. The roof is now supported by 20th-century A-frame trusses. The barn represents a noteworthy, largely unaltered example of a Dartmoor longhouse.