Kentisbury Barton

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameKentisbury Barton
Alternative NamesKentysbery
Historic CountryDevonshire
Modern AuthorityDevon
1974 AuthorityDevon
Civil ParishKentisbury

A house, probably of late 15th or early 16th century origin, remodelled in 1672. The original plan probably comprised an open hall with a storeyed cross wing at its lower end. The hall was later floored over, possibly in 1672, and the cross wing was almost completely rebuilt in the 19th century. Two service ranges were built to the rear of the house at the same time and the hall was divided to form two rooms. During the 20th century the house was divided into two residences, with the original cross passage converted into an entrance lobby. The house is two storeyed and built of stone rubble with a slate roof. The south front has a tall projecting stone chimneystack. A licence to crenellate a manor house at this site was granted in 1457 to a John Wolf: the surviving structure may contain masonry dating to that period. (PastScape)

A farmhouse which is remains of an ancient manor house with date tablet AR/1672 a mantlepiece of 14C was recently removed from its original position in the house. Owned by Devon County Council and occupied as two dwellings. North wall is modern. South wall has the datestone, a three-light mullioned window and wide external chimney-breasting in its eastern half which portion is probably more recent than the east wall, the west wall and the remains of the south wall (OS Archaeology Division report).

A licence to crenellate was granted in 1457 (Higham 1979)

Barton farmhouse, now divided into two occupations. Probably late 15C or early 16C origins, remodelled - 1672 (datestone), extended and refenestrated in 19C, with 20C alterations. Unrendered stone rubble. Original plan obscured by later additions. (Listed Building Report).

Kentisbury Barton remains of 14C manor house. Three light mullioned window and a date stone 1674 (Pevsner).

Lands and dwelling held by Wolfe family from beginning of King Henry IIIs reign until reign of Henry VII (Risdon). (Exmoor HER)

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSS622438
Latitude51.1772384643555
Longitude-3.97237992286682
Eastings262220
Northings143850
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales Vol. 3 Southern England (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) p. 695
  • Higham, Robert A., 1999, 'Castles, Fortified Houses and Fortified Towns in the Middle Ages' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p. 136-43
  • Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 87 (slight)
  • Pevsner N., 1952, Buildings of England: North Devon p. 110

Antiquarian

  • Risdon, Tristram, 1811 (written c. 1620) The Chorogphaphical Description or Survey of the County of Devon (London) p. 349 online copy

Journals

  • Higham, R.A., 1988, 'Devon Castles: an annotated list' Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society Vol. 46 p. 142-9

Primary Sources

  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1927, Calendar of Charter Rolls 5 Henry VI - 8 Henry VIII, AD 1427-1516, with an appendix, 1215-1288 Vol. 6. (HMSO) p. 129 online copy

Other