Shute Barton
Encyclopedia
Shute Barton, located at Shute
, near Axminster
, Devon
, England
, is a mediaeval manor house
, today a property of the National Trust
.
Shute Barton is one of the most important non-fortified manor houses of the Middle Ages still in existence. It was commenced in approximately 1380 and finally completed in the late 16th century, before being partly demolished in the 17th century. Only two wings of the original 1380 building now remain, including a kitchen with the largest Tudor
fireplace in Britain, with a span of 24 feet.
The great hall
with its beamed ceiling and the kitchen with its large open fireplace have survived and the house displays battlemented turret
s, late Gothic
windows and a late Tudor
gatehouse.
The house was previously owned by the Pole family, and was formerly held by the family of Lady Jane Grey
. Although it is now run by the National Trust, the Pole family descendants have the right to live there. The main part of the house opened as a holiday let in Spring 2011. The gatehouse is leased separately to the Landmark Trust
who market it as a holiday let.
Shute, Devon
Shute is a village located west of Axminster in East Devon, off the A35 road.It is surrounded by farmland and woodland beneath 163-metre Shute Hill. St Michael's Church dates from the 13th Century and includes a large memorial to Sir Wiliam Pole...
, near Axminster
Axminster
Axminster is a market town and civil parish on the eastern border of Devon in England. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe which heads towards the English Channel at Axmouth, and is in the East Devon local government district. It has a population of 5,626. The market is still...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is a mediaeval manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, today a property of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
Shute Barton is one of the most important non-fortified manor houses of the Middle Ages still in existence. It was commenced in approximately 1380 and finally completed in the late 16th century, before being partly demolished in the 17th century. Only two wings of the original 1380 building now remain, including a kitchen with the largest Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
fireplace in Britain, with a span of 24 feet.
The great hall
Great hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
with its beamed ceiling and the kitchen with its large open fireplace have survived and the house displays battlemented turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s, late Gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
windows and a late Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
gatehouse.
The house was previously owned by the Pole family, and was formerly held by the family of Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey , also known as The Nine Days' Queen, was an English noblewoman who was de facto monarch of England from 10 July until 19 July 1553 and was subsequently executed...
. Although it is now run by the National Trust, the Pole family descendants have the right to live there. The main part of the house opened as a holiday let in Spring 2011. The gatehouse is leased separately to the Landmark Trust
Landmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
who market it as a holiday let.