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Summary

The Valiant Soldier public house at 79 Fore Street in Buckfastleigh was thought originally to have been two 17th century houses, which were apparently combined at some point, creating the structure seen today. It functioned as the Valiant Soldier public house between at least 1813 and 1965 when the fittings of the public house were left unaltered by the occupiers. Property was bought by Teignbridge District Council in 1997. Alternative names: Bastows Court, Haymans Court, Hunts Court.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1292192: THE VALIANT SOLDIER, INCLUDING REAR WING

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX76NW46
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1153791
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 392290

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Constructed, XVI to XIX - 1600 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))
• STABLE (Constructed, XVI to XVII - 1600 AD (Between) to 1699 AD (Between))
• PUBLIC HOUSE (Constructed, XIX to Mid 20th Century - 1813 AD (Between) to 1965 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 1983, Buckfastleigh (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337043.

(January 1983) House, probably 17th century in origin, the main block having been altered in the late 19th century. At one time it was used as a public house. There is a cartway at the left end of the main block giving access to the court. The rear right wing faces on to the court and has a stable block to the rear. The main block has two storeys and is asymmetrical. It is roughcast with the rear elevation cement-rendered and blocked out. It has a natural-slate roof which is gabled at the ends. The rear wing is partly slate-hung with a roof which is partly of corrugated asbestos.

Dartmoor National Park Authority, 1997, Buckfastleigh Conservation Area Partnership Scheme (CAPS) photographs (Photograph). SDV365552.

Thorp, J. R. L., 1999, The Valiant Soldier, 79 Fore Street, Buckfastleigh, 1-17 (Report - Assessment). SDV347486.

The Valiant Soldier public house was thought originally to have been two houses, which were apparently at some point, creating the structure seen today. It functioned as the Valiant Soldier public house between at least 1813 and 1965 when the fittings of the public house were left unaltered by the occupiers. Property was bought by Teignbridge District Council in 1997. (See report for extensive detail on past owners and occupiers of the property).
The main building appears to date to the late 19th century, the ground floor of which underwent major modernisation in 1938. It is likely that the late 19th century rebuilding of an earlier building was prompted by the sale of 1886. The layout of the older building may well be retained in the current layout, which is awkward in places and may also be due to the amalgamation of two houses. Little evidence was noted in this study of features pre-dating the late 19th century, however hints were found in the carriageway to the east of the building, including a vertical join on the eastern wall and also the exposed joists associated with the first floor fireplace above the carriageway.
The rear outbuilding is hard to date as it is a plain utilitarian form and the masonry has been refaced and limewashed. It is clearly a multi-phase building however, two stories high facing west onto the access lane. Originally these structures were in the same ownership as the Valiant Solider but are now owned separately. A major part of this building is likely to have been built in the 18th century and enlarged and altered from the 19th century onwards. Functionally, it is hard to determine what the original purpose of this structure was but it is possible that it was partly domestic – remains of a fireplace indicates a possible one-room plan cottage existed here. Other sections were clearly non-domestic, although it is not clear exactly what they functioned as. Loading hatches and the arrangement of the windows was noted. It is likely that some areas were always intended for use as storage space.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

English Heritage, 2011, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV347072.

The Valiant Soldier, including rear wing.
House, at one time a public house, including rear right (north-east) wing (partly in separate ownership). Probably 17th century in origin, the main block altered in the late 19th century. Main block roughcast, rear elevation cement-rendered and blocked out; natural slate roof, gabled at ends with crested ridge tiles. Rear wing partly slate-hung; roof partly corrugated asbestos; stacks with stone rubble shafts. Plan: the main block is two rooms wide with a cartway at the left end giving access to a court. The rear right wing faces onto the court and consists of a domestic block with a stable block to the rear.
EXTERIOR: Two storeys. Asymmetrical 2:2-window front under separate roofs, the left hand roof lower. Deep eaves. The lower roofed block, to the left has a cartway to left, two ground-floor probably late 19th century tripartite plate-glass horned sashes, two 4-pane first-floor horned sashes. The right-hand block has a recessed 6-panel door to the right with a tripartite sash to right, two 4-pane sashes above, matching the others. Pub name on panel on first floor. Rear elevation is very irregular, suggesting a pre-19th century core. The rear wing is under two separate roofs: the section nearest the main block is domestic in function with a first-floor 12-pane boxed sash window. The (disused) rear section of the wing has a cart entrance at the left end and three stable entrances, two with segmental-headed brick arches and four small unglazed windows, one with mullions; two first-floor loft openings, one with mullions. The roof has been reduced in height and a stack at the junction of the domestic part and stable part of the wing appears originally to have served the stable range.
INTERIOR: not accessible but likely to be of interest. Historical note: the court has been variously called Bastows Court, Hunt's Court or Hayman's Court. It is one of the larger courts on the north side of Fore Street, formerly with cottages facing into it but now with a building in light industrial use in the centre. It was formerly partly in use as a butcher's business. The court extends down to the River Mardle at the north end, which is culverted to give easy access, perhaps for cattle, from the fields on the other side. Other details: Listed Building number: 392290.

Stubbings, P., 2023, Watching Brief at the Valiant Soldier, Buckfastleigh (Report - Watching Brief). SDV365524.

A watching brief was carried out in April 2023 during groundworks associated with the garden of The Valiant Solider including the stripping of grass and topsoil, and a small drainage trench. No archaeological features or deposits were observed, and no artefactual material was recovered.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5133 - Assessment of the Valiant Soldier and related outbuildings
• EDV8692 - National Recording Project
• EDV8924 - Watching brief in garden of the Valiant Soldier, Buckfastleigh (Ref: R01-0040-2)
• EDV8934 - Condition survey of Buckfastleigh Conservation Area

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