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Summary

Langdon Court Hotel in Wembury built in 1577 on the site of a Domeday manor.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1324841: LANGDON COURT HOTEL
• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000695: LANGDON COURT HOTEL

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX54NW/19
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANSION HOUSE (XI to XXI - 1001 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Evans, H. M., 1909, Wembury: Its Bay, Church and Parish, 522-4 (Article in Serial). SDV336371.

Langdon Court, Wembury. The Domesday Manor of Langadona. Manor house first built in 1577 and rebuilt in 1707.

Reichel, O. J., 1928 - 1938, The Hundred of Plympton in Early Times, 264,275,296-297,303 (Article in Monograph). SDV161480.

The site of a medieval estate recorded in the Domesday survey. The subsequent history of its possession down to 1428 is given. In 1285 it was recorded as giving its name to a tithing in the Plympton hundred.

Gover, J. E. B. + Mawer, A. + Stenton, F. M., 1931, The Place-Names of Devon: Part One, 261 (Monograph). SDV1312.

Langdon Court was mentioned as 'Langadona' in 1086 & 'Oueralangadone' in 1322.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 306 (Monograph). SDV336217.

The 1577 building had slightly projecting wings, but in 1707 a new front was set in between the wings. Main staircase and windows are of the same date. There are some Victorian additions. In 1952 it was in use as a convalescent home serving Plymouth.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 512-3 (Monograph). SDV17562.

The 1577 building was a rebuilding of an earlier medieval house. Present house has four fronts enclosing a quadrangular court. In the possession of the Calmady family for 320 years till 1875.

Department of Environment, 1956, Plympton St Mary RD, 31 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV140824.

Late XVIrefashioned in XVIIIand XIX. Rubble with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. Brick stacks and stone mullioned windows. XIX tower. Interior not inspected. See updated list for full details.

Copeland, G. W., 1965, 33rd Report of the Parochial History Section: some antiquarian fallacies (Article in Serial). SDV336375.

At Langdon Court there was an air drain ventilating the three sides of a fine barn against damp.

Department of Environment, 1984, Wembury, 67-8 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV336377.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1986, SX54NW8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV336378.

Langdon Court Hotel. (OS 1:10000 1982)

Card also includes listing description from 19/07/1984 (DOE HHR South Hams District (Wembury part) Devon)

Langdon Court. As described above. (DCC SMR South Hams printout 18/10/1985 citing: a) Hundreds of Devon 1928-38 264 275 296-7 303 Reichel, O. J. b) Bldgs of Eng South Devon 1952 306 Pevsner, N. c) Devon 1954 512-3 Hoskins, W. G. d) TDA 97 1965 82 Copeland, G. W. e) TDA 42 1910 522-524 Evans, H. M.)

Keystone Historic Buildings Consultants, 1994, The garden buildings at Langdon Court, Wembury, 2 (Report - non-specific). SDV336376.

Mansion, now a hotel. Has a courtyard plan, north & south wings are a little longer than east & west. Building has evolved over centuries, remodelled in 1707 and altered and extended in 1877.

Department of Environment, 2003, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (Devon) (Register of Parks and Gardens in England). SDV314512.

Wapshott, E. + Walls, S., 2015, Langdon Court Hotel Wembury Devon, Results of Desk Based Appraisal, Historic Buildign Appraisal and Imapct Assessment (Report - Survey). SDV360343.

Langdon Court was apparently rebuilt in 1577, and subsequently remodelled (probably re-built) in 1693-1707 as a courtyard mansion. The house retains a walled formal garden originally laid out in the 17th century. The house was built on a terrace, which has in part been cut into the hillside, with 228 acres of parkland sloping away to the east and north-east.

A c.1710 painting provides one of the earliest detailed depictions of Langdon Court, this shows the primary east elevation, with its formal walled gardens to the front (east), and south. There are numerous other buildings shown, including the large tithe barn (behind the gates) at Langdon Barton. The tithe barn (built in c.1709) is still extant, but this south orientated drive and the other buildings along it, including a smaller tithe barn(?) have since been demolished, as have the buildings to the north of Langdon Court.

The cellars form part of the late-17th to early 18th century rebuilding of Langdon Court, and although they have been subject to a degree of alteration and modification, many architectural details survive, particularly within the wine cellar. There have been a number of 20th century alterations, notably within Areas 1 and 3, which enable the space to be suitable for accommodating changes in use. Any changes would have to ensure the retention of the key architectural features of value, such as the pillars and pilasters and the hollow-moulded mullioned stone windows. The former wine cellar should also not be subdivided, as its proportions are an essential part of its aesthetic appeal, and defines its higher status use over the other spaces in the cellar.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, 1324841 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

Langdon Court Hotel
Country house, now used as an hotel. The medieval house was rebuilt in 1577. Remodelled in 1707 and altered and extended circa 1877. Rough ashlar. Slate roof. The original house had projecting wings left and right. During the 1707 remodelling a new front filled in between the wings and the house is now square on plan around a small central courtyard. Two storeys, attic and cellar. Granite string course at first floor level. West front 2:3:2 bays. Gabled either end with ball finial and sundial. Centre three bays have heavy modillion cornice. Sash windows with glazing bars some retaining thick glazing bars, stone arches with keystones, centre first floor in rusticated architraves with grotesque mask keystone. Ground floor granite mullion/transom windows. Blocked central doorway with two pairs of pilasters, entablature with large segmental pediment with pineapple finials and quartered arms of the Calmady and Courtney families in the tympanum. Similar south elevation but 2:1:3:1:2 bays. Third and seventh bay has rusticated window architraves similar to west font, and have doorways below in moulded architraves with mask keystones and broken segmental pediments on console brackets. Good early C18 lead rainwater heads and drainpipe on south side. The east front appears to be largely C19, five bays and with two-storeyed gabled porch at the centre. The north front is asymmetrical the centre gabled with range of sashes and stone mullion windows in segmentally headed openings. Late C19 crenellated tower on the north west corner with octagonal stair turret. C19 brick chimney stacks, and C20 dormers. Interior: much altered in C19, but retains early C18 open well staircase with twisted balusters, heavy hand rail ramp up at corners, carved scroll brackets and dado panelling. Two early C18 dog-leg secondary staircases. Some bolection panelling with broken scroll pediment overdoors and cornice. Various chimneypieces. Brick vaulted cellar on granite piers - circa early C18. Langdon was the Seat of the Calmadys. Vincent Calmady a lawyer purchased the property from the crown in 1555 and rebuilt the medieval house in 1577. Josias Calmady remodelled it in 1707. The Calmadys sold Langdon in 1875. Transactions of the Devonshire Association 1910 Vol 42 page 522.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7346 - Results of Historic Building Survey and Imapct Assessment - Langdon Court Hotel, Wembury (Ref: 150107)

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