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Summary

Large house, circa 1855. The former billiard room block was a circa 1900 addition, and is now divided off as Oriel House. Built on the site of the Civil War Paradise Fort.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1292025: ORIEL HOUSE PARADISE POINT PARADISE POINT AND ORIEL HOUSE INCLUDING FRONT BOUNDARY WALL

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 446015
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SE/43/1
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 387400

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

'Ravensbury on Site of Paradise Fort' shown as a large building on the east side of Warfleet Road.

Department of Environment, 1972, Dartmouth, 46 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV155627.

Freeman, 1988, Ravensbury, on Site of Paradise Fort (Worksheet). SDV341082.

Not built by Bidder but bought by him in 1861. House built by E Fox in 1855. Foundations of the old fort can still be seen in the cellars of Ravensbury.

Batty, M., 2003, South Devon Coast Path Project: a study of the archaeology along the coast path in the South Hams from Staddon Heights to Sharkham Point, 85 (Un-published). SDV336214.

The site seems to be subdivided. A plaque on the wall records the Bidder family living there.

Ordnance Survey, 2008, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV340009.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

Paradise Point and Oriel House including front boundary wall (formerly Listed as Ravensbury). Large house, the former billiard room block now divided off as Oriel House. Circa 1855, the Oriel House part was a circa 1900 addition. Flemish-bond yellow brick with minimal Bathstone dressings, some painted brick on the service side, and some slate-hanging; projecting end, rear lateral and axial brick stacks have chimneyshafts with old pots. Plan: Double-depth, 2 rooms wide, with central entrance passage and main stairs off the right side. Principal rooms on left and to rear, service rooms to right. The former billiard room extension, now Oriel House, projects forward from right corner. Exterior: 2 storeys with attics; Oriel House of 2 storeys. Multi-gabled elevations. Entrance front an asymmetrical 1:2:1-window range, all openings under flat brick arches, mostly narrow horned 8-pane sashes, but first-floor right a horned 12-pane sash. Central bay broken forward with canted corners to first floor and parapet above; it contains doorway to right flanked by pilaster buttresses and contains a fielded 6-panel door under a plain overlight. Another doorway in right bay has wide elliptical arch and contains a similar door with side lights and large fanlight with intersecting glazing bars. Gable-ended roof with central gable, all with open scroll-pattern bargeboards which are continued under the eavesas a valance and incorporate bold pendants and finials at each apex, corner and valley. Other sides in same style. Left end a 3-window range containing mostly horned 12-pane sashes and a canted bay ground-floor right. Timber verandah and balcony round northern corner with French windows behind; 3 bays each side on square posts with moulded capitals to low Tudor arches and console brackets to balcony floor, ground floor glazed and each bay 3 lights with horizontal panes below clerestorey with vertical glazing bars, and verandah with a simple patterned balustrade. Rear includes another French window to left of the verandah and another canted bay ground-floor left. Right end slate-hung, less regular, with projecting service block containing casement windows. Former billiard room block, Oriel House, is a circa1900 version of the same style, much modernised in the 20th century. It features a first-floor oriel window, round-headed doorway, 20th century twelve-pane probably-original sashes without glazing bars, glazed ridge and slate-hanging to rear. Interior: Not inspected, but noted as having stick-baluster open-string stair, panelled doors and original chimneypieces. Tall stone rubble wall alongside the road is probably original; it includes a round-headed gateway close to the service end of the house. History: Ravensbury was built on the site of Paradise Fort. From 1861-78 it was the home of George Parker Bidder, The Calculating Boy, who was taken from the fairground and his education sponsored by wealthy patrons after which he prospered as an inventive entrepreneur, developing the steam trawler. For prints of the place before (1830) and after its erection (circa 1860) see sources. It occupies a prominent position and forms part of a group with other listed buildings around Warfleet Creek. (Freeman, Ray: Dartmouth and its Neighbours: Phillimore: 1990-: p 172-4/Plate 23/Plate 104).

Pink, F., 2014-2015, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV155627	List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest: Department of Environment. 1972. Dartmouth. Historic Houses Register. A4 Comb Bound. 46.
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336214	Un-published: Batty, M.. 2003. South Devon Coast Path Project: a study of the archaeology along the coast path in the South Hams from Staddon Heights to Sharkham Point. Mixed Archive Material. 85.
SDV340009	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2008. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Digital. [Mapped feature: #98332 ]
SDV341082	Worksheet: Freeman. 1988. Ravensbury, on Site of Paradise Fort. Devon County Sites and Monuments Register. Worksheet.
SDV350785	National Heritage List for England: English Heritage. 2013. National Heritage List for England. Historic Houses Register. Digital.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014-2015. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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