Kerswell Barton Farm, Broadclyst, Exeter, EX5

About Kerswell Barton: Dating back to 1875, Kerswell Barton, Broadclyst is a fine example of a Victorian Model Farm and one of the largest still in existence in Devon. Kerswell Barton functioned as a working farm for livestock and produce until 2010 when it was sold to the current owners. A Victorian Model Farm was an 18th-19th century experimental farm, which researched and demonstrated improvements in agricultural techniques, efficiency, and building layout. Education and commitment to improving welfare standards of workers were also aspects of the ideal farm movement. Farm buildings were designed to be beautiful as well as utilitarian-inspired by the ideals of the enlightenment. English Heritage have deemed Kerswell Barton a building of Historic Significance that should now be preserved through residential use. Broadclyst itself is situated in the heart of the National Trust Killerton Estate which was gifted in 1944 by Sir Richard Acland to the National Trust incorporating over 6400 acres including working farms and 240 cottages. Killerton House, within the estate have year round activities for all the family. However records from 1909 show that Kerswell Barton has always been a totally independent farm in private ownership and not part of either the adjacent Poltimore Estate or the nearby Killerton Estate.