Listed Building: KENTISBURY BARTON (1106771)

KENTISBURY KENTISBURY SS 64 SW 5/102 Kentisbury Barton 25.2.65 GV II Barton farmhouse, now divided into two occupations. Probably late C15 or early C16 origins, remodelled - 1672 (datestone), extended and refenestrated in C19, with C20 alterations. Unrendered stone rubble. Slate roof hipped at left end. Impressively tall front lateral hall stack with offsets and tapered cap. Corbelled out first floor stone rubble stack at right gable end and rebuilt stone ridge stack at juncture of rear left-hand wing and main range. Original plan obscured by later alterations but appears to have consisted of an open hall to the right of the through-passage with a storeyed cross-wing at the lower end. The hall appears to have had a stack inserted before being floored over - presumably when the alterations of 1672 occured. At the same time, a staircase was inserted in the through-passage. The cross-wing was almost entirely rebuilt in the C19 when two further gable-ended adjacent rear service wings were added, the centre range recessed slightly so that the rear of the main range resembles an E-shaped plan. Also in the C19, the hall was divided into two rooms, and in C20 the magnificent hall fireplace removed and the house divided into two occupations, the through-passage being converted into an entrance lobby. 2 storeys. 5 window range. Two windows at left end are C20 replacements: with 2 2- light and one 3 light C19 casements, 8 panes per light to right. 2 12-paned sashes, that at left end with slate drip, to left of semi-circular arched doorway with rough stone voussiors, with late infilling to the jambs to narrow the doorway. Small stone in left-hand jamb with scratched geometric floral pattern. 3 light casement to right, 3 panes per light with drip and 3 light stone cavetto mullion window at right end with hoodmould and datestone over R.R. 1672. Interior: extensively altered in C20, including the removal in 1935 of the massive hall stone, chimneypiece (photograph seen) which had a heavily moulded depressed four-centred arched surround with leaf decoration to the spandrels. There is a single rough cross ceiling beam, unmoulded. Integral window desk to the hall window closest to the through-passage. Single surviving C17 turned newel to straight-run staircase in through-passage. 4 C17 trusses over hall and through-passage with straight heavy principals and 2 tiers of trenched purlins; halved and lapped nailed collars, the two over the hall having curved ribs nailed to them indicating that the first floor chamber originally had a barrel ceiling. Some of the rafters have been reused and are smoke-blackened. At the left end of the main range, and at right angles to the C17 trusses, is a single surviving clean truss of the cross-wing roof, arch-braced with soffit chamfers, the stubs of 3 tiers of threaded purlins and mortices for 2 tiers of wind-bracing. The arch-braces of a second truss have been reused to prop the hip of the superimposed roof. The purlins clearly once extended over the rear wing which was rebuilt in the C19. This was clearly a house of some distinction and retains an intersting plan form in that there appears never to have been an inner room beyond the hall. Listing NGR: SS6222843850