Description

OTTERHAM
SX 19 SE
3/110 Smallhill Barton Farmhouse
GV II
Farmhouse. Circa late C17, possibly incorporating some of the fabric from an earlier
house on the site and with C19 alterations and late C20 fenestration. Local stone
rubble, rendered and painted front range, its front wall being roughcast. Dry rag
slate roof with gable ends and overhanging bracketed eaves at front. The front range
has internal gable end chimney stacks with short rebuilt brick shafts and a rendered
rear lateral stack between the rear wing and the main range. The rear wing has a
large projecting gable end stack with stepped set-offs to the right side and a
rebuilt brick shaft.
The original plan is not quite clear, but the house as it stands may be as it was
built. Alternatively the rear wing could part of remains of an earlier house but it
is difficult to see how this would relate to the C16 range which is now an
outbuilding adjoining at right angles at the lower end of the house (outbuilding
adjoining north west of Smallhill Barton qv). The existing house has a 3 room front
range; the higher left room which is heated from a gable end stack and the centre
room with a rear lateral stack were probably 2 parlours with an entrance into a stair
hall between. The third room at the lower right end was probably an unheated service
room (now the dairy) with a through passage between it and the central room. The
stair hall has a back doorway to the kitchen in a wing, with a gable end stack,
behind the higher end of the main range. There is a late C17 door frame (moulded on
the inside) from the kitchen into an outshot behind the lower end of the house which
provides access from the kitchen to the lower end service room via the through
passage. The outshot was heightened to 2 storeys to take a staircase in the late
C19.
2 storeys. Asymmetrical range with 3 first floor windows disposed towards the right
and 4 ground floor windows; all replaced with C20 aluminium pivot windows except for
the 2 ground floor right to the dairy which have probably C19 wooden frames of 2
lights. The main doorway to left of centre has a fine wooden round arched hood with
a moulded archivolt and supported on scrolled console brackets with vine decoration
in the volutes; in the tympanum under the hood the arms of the French family in
plaster, finely modelled in deep relief. Plain doorway to passage to right; both
doorways have C20 aluminium glazed doors.
At the back all the windows have been replaced with C20 aluminium pivot windows. The
2 storey rear outshot is clad in metal sheeting above the ground floor.
Interior : The kitchen fireplace on the ground floor of the rear wing has 2 large
granite jambs with ovolo and cavetto moulding and large diabolo and ball stops, the
lintel has been replaced with a brick arch, however the jambs are rather closely
spaced and it is possible that they have been reused. The doorway from the kitchen
to the rear outshot has a similarly moulded late C17 wooden doorframe with facetted
lozenge shape stops with bars. The rest of the internal joinery seems to be late C19
including the main stair which has turned newels and stick balusters and the back
staircase in the outshot which has stick balusters and a chamfered square newel. The
dairy has slate slabs and a brick central meat safe with a slate slab top.
Smallhill Barton was the seat of the French family until 1814 when it was owned by
Charles Chichester.
Polsue, J Lakes Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, vol IV 1872,reprinted
1974. Sites and Monuments Register, County Hall, Truro.

Listing NGR: SX1723194184

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26436284

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments