Description

SS 20 NW LAUNCELLS LAUNCELLS

5/39 Launcells Barton
29.9.61
GV II*

Farmhouse. 2 ranges of circa 1600 origin, adjoining block built between 1765
and 1777 by Sir John Call (q.v.Launcells Church) for his sister. Early ranges
stone rubble with slate roofs, late C18 block stone rubble with long and short
granite quoins and brick dressings, slate roof. Complex development apparent in
plan of earlier ranges. Evidence that the original house was built on a
north/south axis and demolished at the higher end of the through passage, which is
largely intact. Below the through passage the present circa 1600 house consists of
2 adjoining ranges running west/east and parallel to the through passage. A
truncated projecting stack on the west wall (now the end wall) was probably the
stack to the lower end of the original through passage house. Sir John Call is
said to have demolished part of the old house and reused the stone in his design,
forming, presumably, service rooms in what was left of the old house. The Call
house is double depth in plan with a staircase in the central hall. Stairs link
the Call house to the old house. Front of early house is 2-storey hipped at left
end, break in plane of front and large granite quoins indicate alterations.
Enclosed stone porch has slate gabled roof and 4-centred brick arch to outer
doorway. Ground floor window to left of porch tripartite timber sash glazing bars
rehung as casement opening horizontally under a timber lintel. Ground floor window
to right of porch 9 pane timber sash. First floor window left, timber sash, 6
panes per light, window above porch and high under eaves, pair of timber sashes
inserted in one aperture with timber mullion. Each sash 9 panes per light. Late
C18 adjoining block of 2 storeys and basement with hipped roof with central gulley.
3 bay front. Double flight of steps up to front door with original painted turned
balusters and ramped handrail. Basement lit by 2 oculi with glazing bars, brick
surrounds and arches to oculi. 2-leaf glazed front door with 16 panes under
fanlight with glazing bars. Doorway has small entablature on tall consoles with
enriched paterae. Venetian windows to either side have brick arches, timber sashes
with glazing bars. Platband at first floor level. First floor windows under brick
arches are 3 timber sashes, 6 panes per light. Extremely tall stair window on left
end lights stair linking Call build to earlier house. Tall rear stair window has
round-headed timber sash with glazing bars and marginal glazing.
Interior. Rear range of earlier house has arched doorway and massive timber
arched door into east end of former through passage, passage partly altered as
dairy. C18 plaster barrel ceiling over stair, circa 1600 roof. First floor room
left of front range has large fireplace with chamfered granite lintel. Circa 1600
roof with collars mortised into principals. Interior of late C18 build has open
well stair with turned balusters and ramped wreathed handrail. Ground floor room
left has moulded plaster cornice and dado. Ground floor room rear right panelled
throughout with circa 1720s panelling possibly reused when parts of the earlier
house were dismantled. Contemporary landscape painting in fixed frame on west wall
of stair well. 6-panel doors throughout ground floor. West end of earlier house
retains granite hoodmoulds to 2 first floor windows, 1 with label stops, and
truncated projecting lateral stack with offsets. The remains of probably medieval
carp ponds survive in the valley below the house.
Launcells Barton was in the possession of Hartland Abbey and became a cell of
the Austin Canons. It was purchased by the Chamond family (q.v. parish church) in
1553. It was eventually leased to the Reverend Cadwallader Jones whose brother-in-
law, Sir John Call, designed the late C18 extension. Call also designed and
rebuilt Whiteford House in Stoke Climsland, the seat of the Call family, in 1775,
and, as High Sheriff of Cornwall, Bodmin gaol in 1779. Alastair Forsyth "Whiteford
House", Duchy Digest, vol IV, Spring 1984, pp.30-37. A long description of
Launcells Barton appears in Charlotte Hawkey's Neota, 1870s.

Listing NGR: SS2448505749

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535358

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

• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)