Cob is a traditional building method in Devon. Walls are made from mud mixed with cow dung and straw built on a stone or brick foundation. Sometimes brick or stone cornices are used to support corners and doorways. The roofs are usually hipped and thatched with oak trusses resting on top of the walls.
If the roof or footings are compromised and water penetrates the cob walls then they are liable to collapse. This means there are very few complete cob farmsteads surviving. Higher Eggbeer farm is one of the best preserved cob farmsteads I have ever visited. The farmhouse retains its thztched roof, but the other buildings have been saved by corrugated iron roofs. Along with these other outbuildings there are two large barns which have been restored and converted for use as wedding venues.
