The Property

Nestled in a scenic and sheltered valley between Kingsbridge and the Avon Valley, Grade I Listed Leigh Barton sits tranquilly in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Steeped in history, this Devon medieval freeholding farmhouse was formally within the lands of Buckfast Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries – the set of medieval buildings, that include an imposing gatehouse, may once have formed a defended farmstead.

The location and size of the complex suggests that it served in medieval times to house pilgrims journeying from Buckfast to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain, still a popular walking destination in Iberia. Leigh Barton is now a wonderful home having been restored over many years by both English Heritage, previous and current owners. Thought to date back to the Saxon times, the main house is believed to be dated around the 1120’s while later additions including the standalone gatehouse date from around 1450-1475. The late medieval gatehouse was likely constructed as part of the gentrification when the Leigh family enlarged the house and added the two ranges which provided high quality lodgings. The gatehouse is incorporated in to a high, defensive stone wall (curtain wall), which extends for 8-9m in either direction. The wall may never have been completed, as no trace of it has been found beyond its present ends – which today provide an imposing and private entrance into the farmstead.

In 1974 the site was taken into guardianship by the Department of the Environment who subsequently passed it on to English Heritage, who painstakingly restored the fabric of the house, the Gatehouse and The Ranges but also recreated it so that it could again be inhabited as a home. Nowadays, with an abundance of original medieval and ecclesiastical features including beams and timbers, flagstone floors running through the ground floor, ancient doors and mullion windows, Cinquefoil window openings and church style roofs, it is possibly one of the finest examples of inhabited medieval architecture in private hands.

As soon as you step through the substantial front door of Leigh House it is apparent that attention to detail and great care has been taken to preserve the history of this important house. The through passage plan includes a traditional farmhouse kitchen complete with oil fired Aga, separate range cooker, and flagstone floor leading into a utility/ boot room and cloakroom which runs into The Ranges store rooms and workshop areas . On the opposite side of the entrance hall the spacious drawing room, dining room, wet room and study area with stable door to the courtyard have a plethora or original features with a particularly fine stone spiral staircase leading from the drawing room to the first floor as does a second staircase from the entrance hall.

Upstairs four characterfully bedrooms and an adaptable dressing room/5th bedroom enjoy period features with exposed beams, feature fireplaces with large stone lintels and lovely window seats, with a comfortable en-suite off of the master bedroom with roll top bath and separate shower, a further en-suite shower room and cloakroom en-suite in the 4th and 3rd bedrooms.

External

Outside, the abundant architectural and historical features continue – The Ranges which consist of an east and west chamber are accessed either from steps to a galleried walkway or from the first floor of the main house. This collection of adaptable rooms incorporating many fine, highly photogenic and exciting original features offer excellent storage, entertaining and meeting areas.

Also within the grounds are two Grade II listed cottages, Leigh Barn and Leigh Poundhouse. As with the main house, these have been sympathetically restored to provide self-contained guest accommodation with kitchens, living rooms and both benefitting from two bedroom. There is ample parking for both cottages and they each have their own garden areas to enjoy the countryside surroundings.

The formal gardens at Leigh Barton are a particular delight, these include an area following monastic principles of design which incorporate plants known to be in cultivation in England before the dissolution the monasteries. The grounds are planted with drifts of specimen trees, roses, shrubs, and numerous water loving plants in the stream and small lake – forming a haven for wildlife. A charming greenhouse, shed and raised beds for the kitchen garden are ideal for the garden enthusiasts.