in it and never monotony as the seasons come and go and cloud and sunshine alternate." The walls were curved to echo the original thatch. The columns of the verandah echo the smooth, curved chimneys. The two wings radiating from the six-sided hall embody a ten-faced, symmetrical plan. The symmetry is part reinforced and part broken by the handling of voids. The north entrance porch and the arches over the bedroom windows in the south facade reinforce the symmetry, whereas the south west porch, the bays and the windows provide asymmetry. The asymmetric disposition of the functions of the rooms is reflected in the positioning of the windows. Horizontality is emphasised by the linearity of the casement windows and the verandah, verticality by the central gable and tall, slender chimney stacks. By 1897 Prior had developed his theory of texture. Prior tried to find a way beyond historical style and vernacular logic. The wall surfaces are highly textured, incorporating the philosophy Prior expounded in his paper. The cavity walls are of brick, with a locally quarried red sandstone outer leaf. Pebbles from the beach and river are embedded in the mass concrete, adding pattern and texture to the walls. The stone is roughly dressed, uncoursed and varied by the inclusion of large boulders. The building was originally thatched. The large chimney stacks were lined with terracotta flues and cased in sandstone with spark arresters. The upper floors were constructed of concrete reinforced with nine inch logs at two and a half foot centres. This was partly done as fireproofing. Little information is available on the building procedure adopted for The Barn. It is not known whether Prior used a traditional contract system, or the clerk of works and day labour approach he operated at Home Place, Kelling and the Burton Bradstock Church restoration scheme. Prior produced plans and sections for the house, but no elevations are known. He may have used a model to guide the building process. Certainly some aspects of the building were decided upon as building progressed, particularly the texturing and use of materials on the facades. The Barn suffered a serious fire in October 1905. The internal design was unfortunately lost; the internal balcony and concrete floors (with timber reinforcement) no longer exist. The house was restored by the Bristol firm of Jacob Williams with a slate roof and gables. The wings of the front entrance