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Summary

No 1 Fore Street in Silverton, said to be the old Church House, built in the late 16th century with later alterations

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1106657: THE OLD CHURCH HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS90SE/5
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 95418

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHURCH HOUSE (XVI to Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, SS90SE13 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV337838.

Department of Environment, 1959, Tiverton RD, 30 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV54004.

Plastered rubble and cob with hipped thatched roof and brick stacks. Two storeys with wood casements and leaded lights.

Copeland, G. W., 1961, Devonshire Church Houses, part 2 (Article in Serial). SDV7456.

No 1 Fore Street to the northwest of the church is a long building with plastered and white-washed walls and thatched roof, of two storeys, 7/5 bays, rectangular on plan. Wooden framed windows mainly replacements in front, but an older and unmoulded one of 4-lights remains to the ground floor. The upper end window to the right is an original six-light rectangular oriel with remains of ovolo and fillet moulding, of late 16th century, and two curved end-corbels carved with chain strapwork and pinnate foliage, weathered away on one corbel. Rear windows are modern. Late brick chimneys. At rear is a pentice the width (or length) of the house. Carriage entrance on road at the south admits to a cobble-paved thatched 'wing', open on north side and a small rear court, partly surrounded by an old cob wall beyond which is a long garden. Walls 685 millimeters thick. Fireplaces and staircases modern. Two downstairs rooms retain chamfered old oak ceiling beams. Position of original staircases not clear. The end room and that above it may belong to later extension of house in early 17th century. The lower room has similar ceiling beams but at right angles to the others, and a large new bay window. The upper room has a three-sided plaster ceiling whose centre retains some moulded plasterwork; a central lozenge panel from which radiates panels of an arrowhead outline, in each of which is a small lion rampant. In the centre panels are floral paterae and roses, and the finials are sprays of quasi-Tudoresque roses & aster-like flowers, etc. The ribwork is moulded. Many wall-cupboards. Some of the window embrasures are slightly splayed, and some have seats. It was probably originally two houses. A church house and an ordinary dwelling house, which were then thrown together. During alterations made by Mr F S Hall some discoveries were made. In the back wall, masked by an extension in the form of a pentice obviously made later, an upper rectangular oakframed two-light window with segmental heads to the lights and chamfe moulds, was found. It is rebated within and has been raised to its present position during the alterations, in the room south of that with the moulded plastic ceiling. In the back wall of the latter room, the remains of a fairly large rectangular chamfered wooden window of four narrow lights with stops to the chamfers, and adjoining is a rectangular wooden doorway, also chamfered. These openings in the cob walling suggest that there may be an external flight of stairs as an access from outside to the upper chamber.

Copeland, G. W., 1963, Devonshire Church Houses: Part 4, 151 (Article in Serial). SDV7678.

English Heritage, 1966, Silverton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV337839.

No.1 Fore Street (The Old Church House) in Silverton. House and shop, reputedly once the Church House. Late 16th century with later alterations. Mostly cob, with some rubble, stone footings all roughcast, gable-end thatched roof forming a catslide of continuous rear outshut, the rear outbuildings, fronting Tiverton Road, mostly of the same materials, with some brick and breeze block patching. Probably formerly a 3-room, through-passage plan house, with hall and parlour to the right of the now blocked passage, and an extension (added soon after the main building phase) to the upper end (circa 1600); lower end also rebuilt perhaps in early 19th century. 2 axial stacks with brick shafts, that to the left heating hall and backing onto former passage, that to the right heating parlour and probably originally an end stack. 2-storeys. Front: Irregular fenestration; six 2- and 3-light windows with 19th and 20th century casements to first floor, lintels at eaves level, with (to the right) an oriel window, supported on shaped brackets, 1:4:1 lights, with ovolo-moulded mullions and surround, 5 or 10 leaded panes per light, with 1 original catch. 3- and 4-light casement windows to ground floor, that to the left possibly occupying position of former passage, with 20th century shop window to the right of the present entrance. Rear: with two 2-light chamfered window frames, 1 with stanchions and 1 not in-situ, both to first floor. 19th century outbuildings. Interior: right-hand room in circa 1600 extension with 2 axial beams, chamfered, 1 with pyramid stops; hall and parlour, now a single room, with deeply chamfered cross beams, with pyramid stops; left hand room at lower end with 2 chamfered step-stopped beams. 4 jointed crucks, 3 to hall and parlour, 1 to the right hand room, apexes morticed and pegged, paired, trenched purlins, collars replaced; no evidence of smoke-blackening. The right hand chamber (with the oriel) retains its plaster ceiling, a single pattern, single-ribbed, central square with concave sides with lateral units each containing rampant lion; central floral design, with floral motifs at outer points.

Thorp, J. R. L. + Cox, J., 2014, Observations During Building Works at 1 Fore Street, Silverton, Devon: An Archaeological Watching Brief (Report - Watching Brief). SDV356724.

No 1 Fore Street occupies a prominent site in the centre of Silverton. Known as Church House, it is a long 2-storeyed building built along the street front on a rough north-south axis. Its south end is onto the crossroads in the centre of the town which was also the historic market place. Important historic fabric has been recorded revealing that the 16th century church house was a larger and more complicated building than others recorded in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. A section of external close-studding framing is of great historic interest, being a rare example outside the larger towns of Devon. See report for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6506 - Archaeological Watching Brief on 1 Fore Street, Silverton

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