Details
KNOWSTONE SHAPCOTT LANE
SO 82 SW
3/31 Shapcott Barton
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20.2.67
- II*
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Barton farmhouse. Circa 1600, with some C19 and C20 alterations. Roughly coursed dressed stone, rendered at lower end with some cob to rear. Slate roof, gable end to right, half-hipped to left. Stone rubble stack at right end with drip, rear lateral stone rubble hall stack heightened in brick and enclosed by rear wing. Axial C20 stack to lower end. Capped first floor stacks to outer 2 of the 3 gable-ended rear wings.
Plan: 3-room-and-through-passage plan, lower end to left, with 3 adjoining gable-ended rear wings, the central one to rear of hall/inner room houses the staircase, that to rear of inner room the dairy, that to rear of hall probably a salting-house/service room. The outer 2 wings both had heated first floor chambers.Shapcott Barton appears to be a largely single-phase building, although in the C19some of the joinery was replaced, including the staircase, and in circa 1956 thelower end, which until then had been used a cider-house and stables, was converted to form part of the dwelling and is separately occupied. The parlour ceiling was also entirely replaced in late C20.
Exterior: 2 storeys: 5-window range. C19 fenestration intact to right of porch. C20 fenestration is same style to lower end. To left of porch is a 3-light casement 9 panes per light and 2-light 6 panes above 4-light 12 panes per light to left of C20 door. Deep projecting stone-rubble porch with leanto slate roof, originally it was 2 storeys and gabled as there appears to be a blocked first floor doorway visible in the front wall of the principal chamber. Impressive double ovolo-moulded straight-headed C17 inner door surround with weathered rams horns stops. To right of porch is a 4 light and two 3 light casement above two 3 light casements, all 12 panes per light. C17 4 light ovolo mullion window to rear stair projection, 2 of the lights retaining rectangular leaded lights.
Interior: lower end entirely altered in C20. Through passage/hall partition onpassage side is entirely covered with clearly re-used C17 small panelling, 2 of the panels to the right of the doorway have Renaissance carved panels, some to the left have incised lozenge decoration. Hall has very fine, elaborately moulded framed ceiling, forming 20 panels, 4 of the panels at the upper end retain part of, and 2 retain complete plaster decoration, consisting of moulded lozenges with foliated sprays at the tips, and small central pendants. As the panels at the lower end appear to retain old plaster, it is possible that only the 15 panels at the upper end of the hall were decorated, while those below the central cross ceiling beam were always plain. Chamfered lintel with hollow step stops to hall fireplace which has dressed stone jambs and bread oven door (the oven demolished). Fine doorway and door to right of fireplace giving access to rear stair turret, with double ovolo-moulded surround with impressive large foliated stops, 4 plank door with studded cover strips to hall side forming 16 panels and scratch moulded ledges to rear. Plank and muntin screen between hall and inner room, plastered on inner room side, with deep chamfered muntins with run out stops and 8 panels with doorway at left end exposed on hall side. The window bench undoubtedly was carried round to form the 'dais bench' with some peg-holes visible in the muntins. The door surround has been cased in C19. Creamery to front wall. Parlour has C20 ceiling. Dressed stone jambs, herringbone slatework to rear of hearth and chamfered timber lintel to fireplace. Panelled shutters to window recess. Dairy altered in C20. In C19 the original staircase was removed and a much narrower dog-leg stair inserted. Chamfered ceiling beam to service room to rear of hall. Twin doorway at head of stairs to chambers over inner room and hall, the C17 surrounds apparently cased in C19, the right-hand doorway retains original door with scratch-moulded frame and ledges, and studded cover strips forming 12 panels. Chamber over dairy has similar C17 door, and ovolo-moulded jambs. Chamfered lintel to chamber fireplace, ovolo-moulded lintel to hall chamber fireplace. Hall chamber has decorative moulded plasterwork frieze surviving at upper end only, with repeating pattern of winged horses. Roof: some of the C17 trusses with straight principals, trenched purlins and originally morticed and tenored collars survive, but the roof has been heavily remodelled in the C19 and C20. To sign of smoke-blackening.
Listing NGR: SS8464223490
