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Summary

The site of a medieval monastic grange and post-dissolution manor house mid-16th century to 1842-3.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1218053: CLIFTON COTTAGES AND STONE WALLS TO EAST AND MANOR BARN COTTAGE AND STONE WALLS TO EAST

Other References/Statuses

• Torbay HER: MTO9773

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANOR HOUSE (XIII to XIX - 1300 AD to 1842 AD (Pre))

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

The site lies within the original Manor of Tormohan held by William the Usher after the Domesday; the ownership of the manor, held by Torre Abbey between 1231 (?1331)-1539 is discussed by Hamblin, and Walker. [1] [2].

Torwood Manor was formerly a grange of Torre Abbey. At the dissolution in 1540 John Ridgeway and Sir Thomas Denys were granted possession of the site. In 1555 Robert Denys (s. of Thomas Denys) sold his share of Tormohan lands to John Ridgeway, who survived until 1560. John Ridgeway's (?second) son Thomas inherited; his property was enumerated in an Exchequer plea of 1628 (cited in Ellis) as: "500 acres of arable land, 500 acres of meadow, and 400 acres of pasture called the Granges of Torwood, Shiphay and Ilsham in the parishes of Tormoham and St Mary Church". [3] It is uncertain whether the 16th century manor house incorporated buildings of the monastic grange, was built on its site or re-aligned.

Visited by the Rev John Swete in November 1793 the manor house 'was approached through an arched gateway into a spacious court of quadrangular form surrounded by high walls - the windows formed by stone mullions - the rooms within have nothing remarkable but their size; the Hall in particular possesses no small degree of consequence, and the chamber above, now converted into a general dormitory for the servants of the farmer who rents theestate seems to be of equal dimensions. There are however no other remains of the magnificence of the [Ridgeway] family that owned it'. [4]
discussion of placenames given. based on a map of 1770 [5].

In 1716 the last Ridgeway, Countess of Londonderry died; the manor passed to the Earls of Donegal who sold it and the fishing village of Tor Key to Robert Palk in 1768 for £12,000. Although 'demolished' in 1842 White records that the initials "T.R." with the date 1597 were to be seen on the cistern at the head of the lead shutes in front of the (presumedly ruined) building: portions of the walls were still standing at the time of writing in 1878 in Harvey's building yard. [6] Ellis cites both Swete's and White's descriptions.

The manor house was pulled down 1842-3 by the the Harvey Brothers who built much of Victorian Torquay, including the 4 villas on Torwood Mount. Babbacombe Road on the south side was laid out when the site's topography was altered - formerly the road passed on the north side of the manor - and widened in 1906 at the insistence of the Torquay Tram Company when the north side of the road/south side of Tormount was cut away and company widened road and the present high boundary wall established, incorporating the 'tudor' doorway.

Salvage excavation and a watching brief in 1975 to find the remains of the house was unsuccessful; an area of paving was found, bordered by a wall, and interpreted as part of an out-building associated with the house. Also found were traces of 19th century building and landscaping. The excavator/researcher interpreted the extant buildings, Clifton Grove cottages, the surviving barn of the medieval Grange as the western barn not the eastern one and further speculated that the topographical changes between 1842-1906 'had so disturbed the site that it was unlikely that any traces of the manor house will ever be found' [7]. It is likely from the research of Exeter Archaeology in 2001 that Gallant actually observed portions of the courtyard or the western barn itself. [8]

the manor house was bought in 1767 by r.palk. demolished in 1842 [9]. relics of wood in upton parish church and bell in st.james church upton believed to have come from torwood grange [9].

Bell, J & Young, G, 2001, Watching Brief on groundworks at J V Motors, Lisburne Square, Torquay (* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist). SDV362360.

X

<1> Hamblin, E. & Hamblin E., 1971-2, Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society, p.67-9 (Article in Serial). SDV361992.

X

<2> Watkin, H.R., 1922-26, Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society, p.134-48 (Article in Serial). SDV362720.

X

<3> Ellis, A.C., 1930, Historical Survey of Torquay, p.256-73 (Monograph). SDV362462.

X

<4> Gray, T. (ed), 1997, Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of the Reverend John Swete, 1789-1800, p.163-66 & figs (Monograph). SDV362298.

X

<5> Watkin, H.R., 1922-26, Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society, p.50-60 (Article in Serial). SDV361993.

X

<6> White, W., 1878, History of Torquay (Monograph). SDV362559.

X

<7> Gallant, L., 1976, Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society, p.77-82, figs. (Article in Serial). SDV361997.

X

<8> Exeter Archaeology, 2001, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Development of J V Motors site, Lisburne Square, Torquay, p. 1-9 (* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist). SDV362302.

X

<9> Hamblin, E. & Hamblin, E., 1951-54, Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society, p.105 (Article in Serial). SDV362189.

X

<10> Seymour, D.J., 1962-64, Devon and Cornwall Notes & Queries, p.27-29 (Article in Serial). SDV361999.

X

Sources / Further Reading

SDV361984	SMR record: Torbay HER record.
SDV362360	* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist: Bell, J & Young, G. 2001. Watching Brief on groundworks at J V Motors, Lisburne Square, Torquay. .
	Linked documents:1
SDV361992	Article in Serial: Hamblin, E. & Hamblin E.. 1971-2. Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society. . XVI part 2. p.67-9.
SDV362720	Article in Serial: Watkin, H.R.. 1922-26. Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society. . IV. p.134-48.
SDV362462	Monograph: Ellis, A.C.. 1930. Historical Survey of Torquay. . p.256-73.
SDV362298	Monograph: Gray, T. (ed). 1997. Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of the Reverend John Swete, 1789-1800. . Vol 1. p.163-66 & figs.
SDV361993	Article in Serial: Watkin, H.R.. 1922-26. Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society. . IV. p.50-60.
SDV362559	Monograph: White, W.. 1878. History of Torquay. .
SDV361997	Article in Serial: Gallant, L.. 1976. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. . 34. p.77-82, figs..
SDV362302	* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist: Exeter Archaeology. 2001. Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Development of J V Motors site, Lisburne Square, Torquay. . 01.09. p. 1-9.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362189	Article in Serial: Hamblin, E. & Hamblin, E.. 1951-54. Transactions of the Torquay Natural History Society. . XI. p.105.
SDV361999	Article in Serial: Seymour, D.J.. 1962-64. Devon and Cornwall Notes & Queries. . 29. p.27-29.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7857 - Salvage excavation by Louise Gallant - Summer 1975
• EDV7858 - Evaluation at Lisburne Square - Jan 2001
• EDV7919 - Archaeological Assessment of proposed development of J V Motors site, Lisburne Square, Torquay

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