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Summary

A row of almshouses thought to be a former 16th century manor house, built by Richard Duke in the time of Henry VIII. Possibly part of or on the site of the cloister of the medieval Otterton Priory.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1204742: ST MICHAELS CLOSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/41
• Old Listed Building Ref (II)
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SY08NE11
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SY08NE17

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANOR HOUSE (XVI - 1501 AD (Between) to 1600 AD (Between))
• ALMSHOUSE (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

A row of houses close to the church marked as 'Almshouses Remains of a Manor House'.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1954, SY08NE11, Photo (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV116614.

Site visits 1953. A probably 16th century manor house. The Manor of Otterton was purchased from Henry VIII by Richard Duke who 'builded a fayre house in this place'. in about 1846 part of the house was still visible near the church (citing William Pole, Recollections, 1877, p151).
A well-proportioned and well-preserved building of 16th century date which stands in the position suggestive of a manor house. The arms of the Dukes over the porch appear to confirm this. Now converted into almshouses.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1954, SY08NE17 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV117085.

After the dissolution the Manor of Otterton was acquired by Richard Duke who 'builded a fayer howse in this place uppon an ascent over the rivr Otter which driveth his milles underneath the howse' (citing William Pole, Recollections, p151).

Copeland, G. W., 1963, Proceedings at the 101st annual meeting, 21 (Article in Serial). SDV115766.

Formerly the site of a priory founded as a dependency of Mont St Michel, Normandy in the late 11th century. Some of the buildings to the north-west of the church were converted into a mansion by Richard Duke after the dissolution.

Harrison, E. M., 1984, Otterton. A Devon Village, 15, 16, 21 (Monograph). SDV113587.

Richard Duke purchased the Manor of Otterton after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. Little though is known of the 'fayre howse' that he built on the site of priory buildings. These formed a quadrangle and as such must have extended onto what are now the almshouses gardens and the school grounds. The coat of arms over the porch of the almshouses show the Duke arms quartered with Poer; a Duke married Cecily of Poer Hayes (now Hayes Barton) in 1460. A wall and gateway into the mill garden were built in the Tudor period.
The manor was sold by the Duke family in 1777 at which time the mansion was described as 'elegant and commodious' with 'offices, coach-house, hot-house, pidgeon-house, and out-houses, and several walled gardens...and several orchards..a park...and a large salt-water-pond...and several hundred acres of arable meadow and pasture ground'.

Laithwaite, J. M. W., 1986, Devon Religious Houses Survey: Otterton Priory (Archive - Survey). SDV366136.

According to Polwhele writing in 1793, the Duke's manor house occupied part of the priory site. Duke's House appears to have been the residence of the Duke family from at least 1540. Sir william Pole (1561-1635) wrote that Richard Duke 'builded a fayre house in this place uppon an ascent over the river Otter, which driveth his milles underneath the howse'. The building is now old people's homes and has been considerably altered, except in the roofspace and cellar. It comprises a single, long range with an entrance porch in the centre. The right hand side has windows with Tudor arches which are possibly earlier than 1540, while in the left hand side are round-arched windows probably of mid 16th century date, the lower one in the north gable designed for a two storey hall. The roof at this end is arch-braced and designed to be seen from below, but the timbers show no sign of smoke-blackening. In the cellar beneath this end is the bottom of what appears to be a garderobe shaft serving the ground floor. None of this is likely to be earlier than the 16th century.
Polwhele's statement though that the house was built in the form of a quadrangle, and that the enclosure was still known as the 'Nun's-court' is interesting. This may suggest a converted cloister, which must have been on the east (rear) side, on ground now occupied by allotments, since the ground falls away sharply to west. Grimadli (1928) refers to evidence of former walls on this site (which he describes as gardens), extending south to the school playground, and suggests that they may have enclosed the monastery grounds.

Department of Environment, 1987, Otterton, 113 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV113585.

1-4 St Michaels Close. Almshouses, former manor house built on monastic site. Formerly listed as the priory. Early or mid C16, some C18 inprovements radically altered late C19 and circa 1970. Cottage almshouses adjoin to north and south. C16 2- and 3-light windows, possible C18 mullioned windows. Local tradition of a blocked cellar under the south end. See DoE list for full details.

Cherry, B., 1988, The Devon Country House in the Late Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries, 104 (Article in Serial). SDV129144.

A 1696 east front has been added to the older house.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 615 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Remains of the house of the Duke family. Two storey porch with arched doorway; coat of arms above. The house was once larger. Sale description quoted by Polwhele refers to buildings around a quadrangle called the Nuns' Court and to an east front of 1696.

Swete, J. (ed. Gray T. + Rowe, M.), 1998, Travels in Georgian Devon. The Illustrated Journals of the Reverend John Swete. Vol. 2, 140 (Monograph). SDV341167.

Swete visited Otterton in 1795. He describes it as 'a very pleasant village'. Much of the mansion house though, he says, has been destroyed since it was acquired by Mr Rolle.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 2024 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Almshouses. Believed to be 16th century former manor house built on site of priory. Formerly called The Priory. Possibly part of converted cloister. Listed Grade II.
SMR.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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