Farm Buildings At Croscombe Barton

Farm buildings at Croscombe Barton

A large regular group of farm buildings with attached farmhouse, dating from the 18th century and remodelled and extended in the mid-19th century. The buildings are constructed of rubble with some brick dressings and slate roofs.

The complex group is arranged around two courtyards, with two further low-level yards at the outer south-west end. The buildings divide across a water course, which is here impounded and piped to a water-wheel. The principal structures within Lynton and Lynmouth parish are mainly of the 19th century, built on two floors except for one earlier wing near the farmhouse, and all are plain gabled in character.

The main Z-plan range includes a bank barn at the south-east edge adjoining the public right of way, with a short wing on the inner side enclosing a small square yard, and a single-storey range on its outer side. The high cross range has a throughway giving access to a further yard enclosed by a boundary wall at high level, with two sides under a pent roof. The water-wheel is situated under and to the right of the throughway.

The bank barn features a long plain outer wall with a central plank door at the upper level, reached by five stone steps. Beyond this is the end gable of the cross range in the same plane, with a wide segmental-headed opening to a pair of panelled doors. The gable facing the farmhouse has a three-light small-pane cast-iron casement to a segmental head at first-floor level. The return face has three wide openings to segmental heads on broad flush piers, with plain walling above. A short gabled arm returns to enclose the yard, with a similar three-light cast-iron window above one wide open segmental-headed arch. The return gable has a plank door reached by twelve stone steps. The continuing wall to the main barn range has four arches and piers under a central pair of plank loading doors to a segmental head, flanked by small two-light openings with shutters.

The high transverse range has a small door on the low left and an open throughway to the right, under a full-width pair of plank doors rising to the eaves. The far side is mainly plain, with one high and two low openings. On this side is a large enclosed yard with a rubble wall at the upper level and a series of slender cast-iron columns carrying a former pent roof on two sides; some of the original clay Roman tiles remain in situ.

The high barn on the north-west side of this yard stands on the main central spine and is plain on this face. Under the throughway is an opening to a large cast-iron overshot water-wheel of approximately four metres diameter and 1.4 metres width; a few wooden blades remain, and the maker is identified as a Barnstaple craftsman. Flanking the small outer yard is a single-storey range with one door and a plain end gable with stepped coping. The spine range is half in each parish, and the lower block is probably of 18th-century date, forming part of an earlier layout before the addition of the substantial barns described.

The interiors retain their joists although all floor boards have been removed. A 0.3-metre diameter cast-iron pipe runs under the floor of the spine barn, discharging over the wheel. The roofs are 19th-century with collar rafters. The lower level of the bank barn retains some remains of cow stalling and troughs, with floor drainage.

This is a remarkable planned group of mid-19th-century farm buildings, added to the earlier group continuing to the north-west in Martinhoe parish.