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Summary

Moorside on the south side of the road in South Zeal built in the early 16th century with late 16th and 17th century improvements, modernized circa 1960 and again in 1986. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; the front wall may be faced with coursed blocks of granite ashlar; granite ashlar stack and replacement brick chimney shaft; asbestos slate roof, formerly thatch.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1305676: MOORSIDE
• SHINE: Well preserved medieval burgage plots around South Zeal

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX69SE42
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 897917
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SE/193
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 95038

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Built, XV to Late 20th Century - 1500 AD (Between) to 1986 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Building shown on 19th century map.

Department of Environment, 1988, South Tawton, 173 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV336452.

Moorside. House, mid/late 16th century with late 16th and 17th century improvements, modernized circa 1960 and again in 1986. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; the front wall may be faced with coursed blocks of granite ashlar; granite ashlar stack and replacement brick chimney shaft; asbestos slate roof, formerly thatch.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 754-5 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Moorside. Mid-late C16th with late C16th- and C17th improvements. Modernised ca.1960 and in 1986. Two-room-and-through-passage plan house, the hall originally being open to the roof. Grade II*.

Thorp, J. R. L., 2011, Moorside, South Zeal, South Tawton (Report - Survey). SDV349123.

The 19th century Tithe Map shows Moorside as two houses numbered 2748 and 2749. The main block of Moorside is the historic core of the property consisting of a late Medieval open hall house which was originally open to the roof with first floor chambers over the cross passage and west end room. It was built in the first half of the 16th century as a merchant's house in the well preserved planned 13th century town of South Zeal. The house has a 16th century chimneystack projecting from the front of the building. The hall was floored in the late 16th or early 17th century to provide an extra chamber. The early 20th century phase involved an upgrading of the western service end when the house was extended to the east and made two rooms deep. An attic chamber was added in the roof space in the late 20th century.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

'Moorside' shown on modern mapping.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

Moorside in South Zeal was Listed on 4th March 1988. The house was built in the mid to late C16 with late 16th century with 17th century improvements, modernised circa 1960 and again in 1986. Plastered cob on stone rubble footings; tile front wall may be faced with coursed blocks of granite ashlar; granite ashlar stack and replacement brick chimney shaft; asbestos slate roof, formerly thatch.
Plan and development: Two-room-and-through-passage plan house facing onto the road to the north-east and built down the hillslope. Uphill the right room was the former service end room, apparently unheated. It is now used as a garage and has been extended forwards a little in the 20th century. The left room is the hall with a large lateral stack projecting from the front. 20th century service outshot to rear of passage and service end. From the beginning the passage and service end were floored over. There were as now two chambers there. The hall was originally open to the roof and heated by an open hearth fire. Very shortly afterwards (the roof is only lightly sooted) the hall fireplace was inserted and not too long after that (the early or mid 17th century) the hall was floored. There was apparently no inner room. The house seems to occupy the full width of its historic burgage property and is flanked by other historic buildings, the Oxenham Inn to the right and Numbers 1 and 2 Mill House to the left. A blocked doorway through the right party wall is thought to be secondary. House is two storeys.
Exterior: irregular three-window front of 20th century casements with glazing bars interrupted by the hall stack. The 20th century flat-roofed porch and garage concealed the centre and right at ground floor level. Wall is plastered but a coved eaves cornice leads one to suspect that the front is granite ashlar. The roof runs along the building between the adjoining houses.
Interior: preserves the original structure. However all detail is hidden behind 20th century plasterboard in the service end room/garage. The lower passage partition is a granite ashlar wall (one stone is inscribed "John Smith") and contains a blocked doorway. 19th century stairs in passage. Passage hall partition was an oak plank-and-muntin screen; the headbeam remains and some of the panelling towards the rear may do. Hall fireplace is granite ashlar with a hollow-chamfered surround and has never had an oven. The 17th century crossbeam is soffit-chamfered with step stops. Original five-bay roof structure is very complete and includes two integral closed trusses with oak- framed crosswalls. The service chamber and hall both two bays with an open true cruck truss with cambered collar. (Trusses all have carpenters assembly marks). Hall roof very lightly smoke-blackened from the short-lived open hearth fire).
South Zeal is special being one of the few Medieval boroughs where a good number of its 16th and 17th century houses still survive. Moorside is an important house in its own right; a hall house built almost as chimneystacks were being built into houses. The open hearth here was apparently short-lived. Moreover the front lateral stack is an unusual feature in this part of Devon. The house appears more urban in character than most of its contemporary neighbours. Other details: LBS Number 95038.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5740 - Building Survey at Moorside, South Zeal (Ref: K799)

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