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Summary

The main west block of 1742 to 1745 is linked to the remains of the 16th- and 17th century house, which was used as an east service wing after 1742.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1318194: KELLY HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX38SE 31
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX38SE/3
• Old Listed Building Ref (I): 92325

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MANOR HOUSE (XVI to XIX - 1501 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Reichel, O. J., 1896, The Domesday Hundreds: Listone, 467 (Article in Serial). SDV2119.

Domesday manor of Chenleia, held by Motbert. Osfers held it in the time of King Ddward.

Reichel, O. J., 1914, The Hundred of Lifton in the Time of Testa de Nevil, AD 1243, 202-3 (Article in Serial). SDV336448.

Held by John de Curtenay at the time of Testa de Nevil, 1243.

Hoskins, W. G., 1942 - 1946, Devonshire Gentry in Carolean Times, 353 (Article in Serial). SDV44634.

Kelly family said to have held the manor of Kelly since mid 12th century.

Pevsner, N., 1952, The Buildings of England: South Devon, 187 (Monograph). SDV336217.

The present house is mid 18th century, of five bays with quoins and hipped roof. The earlier Tudor house still exists to its east with porch and some six-light windows and remains of a hammerbeam roof.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 417 (Monograph). SDV17562.

The Kellys, descended from Motbert, still occupy Kelly House, a length of tenure which no other Devon family can equal. The house is Tudor, remodelled in the 18th century.

Department of Environment, 1960, Tavistock RD Provisional List, 9 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV220567.

House in two parts. East Tudor, west 18th century. East part has two storeyed porch and 16th century timber roof. Some late 16th century panelling. Several rooms have 17th century panelling. Stone stacks.

Johnson, C., 1977, Untitled Source (Ground Photograph). SDV220576.

Department of Environment, 1988, Kelly, 42-43 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV220568.

House. The main west block of 1742 to 1745 by Abraham Rundle of Tavistock is linked to the remains of the 16th and 17th century house which was used as an east service wing after 1742. See list for full details.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 511-512 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Dyer, M. J. + Manning, P. T., 1998, Objective 5B: Lower Tamar Valley Recreation and Land Management Iinitiative: Cultural Heritage Appraisal, 13 (Report - non-specific). SDV319814.

Remarkably complete 1742-3 interior. Mentioned in 18th century Dean Milles' questionnaire as a 'modern building'.

English Heritage, 2006, Buildings at Risk: The Register 2006, 71 (Report - non-specific). SDV336311.

Kelly House was considered in 2006 to be in immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric with no solution agreed.

National Monuments Record, 2009, 437101 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV220578.

SX38SE 31. Sixteenth and 18th century.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 118 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Eighteenth century house. Serious maintenance issues. Roof in need of renewal, new wing partly propped. Other details: Photograph.

English Heritage, 2009, Kelly (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV342738.

Listed 14/06/1952. House. The main west block of 1742 to 1745 by Abraham Rundle of Tavistock is linked to the remains of the 16th and 17th century house which was used as an east service wing after 1742. East wing 16th and 17th century. Rendered stone with slate roof gabled at right end and hipped to the front over the porch at the left, stone dressings. Massive lateral projecting stone stack; 1 rendered stack on ridge with a pair of diagonally-set shafts; second stack on ridge with a pair of axial shafts. a 4-bay block in the centre has an early to mid 16th century roof and may have been an open hall associated with the rear lateral stack with an inner room to the right. The floor may have been inserted in the 17th century when the house was refenestrated. Also of the 17th century is the 2-storey porch, the lower end of the house was probably dismantled in 1742 to 1745 when the old house was adapted as a service wing. In the 19th century the first floor was refenestrated with timber mullioned windows probably preserving the 17th century apertures. Two storey. One and two-window front with a two storey projecting porch on the front at the left. To the right of the central hall block the front is slightly advanced under a sloping slate roof, probably indicating a demolished wing. Round-headed 17th century ashlar porch doorway with voussoirs, keystones, and the arch supported on square-capitals. Ground floor window to right of porch is a six-light 17th century stone mullioned window with eight square leaded panes per light and two casements. Similar window to the right has a more prominent king mullion. Three-light 19th century timber mullioned window above porch doorway has ten-panes per light. Similar eight-light window to right of porch has 12-panes per light; similar six-light window, 12-panes per light above inner room.
Interior three moulded arched brace trusses with principals with curved feet and three-tiers of moulded stopped purlins. To the front of the house the principals have been truncated above the lower tier of purlins, presumably when the first floor was fenestrated, leaving only two-tiers of purlins. Massive ground floor fireplace to the rear lateral stack has applied 19th century lintel and jambs and was probably adapted when the room was used as a kitchen. Seventeenth century panelling intact. One 17th century granite moulded fireplace to chamber above inner room. West wing: A classical house of 1742-45 by Abraham Rundle, built at a cost of £250. Stucco blocked out over stone rubble or brick. Hipped slate roof with central valley and four stone stacks on ridge. The plan is of five rooms around a rear central stair hall. The position of the original main entrance is puzzling. It may have been on the west front leading through the hall into the stair hall, but the present west front has only a modest garden entrance. In the late 19th century a porch and butler's passage were added on the east, the porch leading directly into the great parlour and the passage leading to the service rooms. Two storeys. Five-bay symmetrical garden (west) front with plinth, platband, rusticated quoins and eaves cornice above dentil frieze. The central three bays are slightly advanced below a pediment with dentil frieze and keyed oculus. Steps up to modestly-scaled central doorway of pilasters and entablature with triglyth frieze. First floor window above doorway has a moulded eared architectrave with a moulded keystone. Other windows plain with keystones, 19th century horned sashes throughout. Venetian stair window with central sash with margin glazing on east wall, the flanking lights set within heavy pilasters supporting an entablature, the central light with round-arch and keystone. The late 19th century porch on the east wall at the left is in a sympathetic style with a pedimented gable, quoins and a platband. Two leaf panelled door below a round-headed fanlight with glazing bars and stained glass. Round-headed sash window with margin glazing to left return of porch, two similar windows to butler's passage.
Interior A remarkably complete 1742-45 interior with all joinery, fireplaces and cornices intact. The stair hall is especially fine with an internal broken pediment to the stair window with a plaster cherubim above, a painted decorated plaster ceiling and a dog leg stair with panelled dado, ramped handrail, barley sugar balusters and fluted newels. One upstairs room retains some of what is probably a 18th century colour scheme of grey and pink on the panelling. The first floor room above the former servants' hall has a variety of 17th century panelling probably reused from the old house. In 1877 a partition wall between the common parlour and a closet was removed, and in 1877 a two-bay two-storey organ room was added to the north of the house. A circa late 18th century painting shows the main entrance on the south side but this may never have been executed. The Kelly archive preserves an estimate for work to be done dated 1742, a memo of work to be done dated 1743 and four accounts for masons', architects', glaziers', plasterers' and carpenters' work dated 1742-45. Abraham Rundle leased one of the Kelly houses in the parish from A Kelly in 1746 and 1753. The Kelly Archive, E 4/7-9, EL 3/46, EL 3/42.
The Kellys were established at Kelly at the Conquest, being decended from Motbert, who held the manor in 1086, and still live at Kelly House. The survival of an important early to mid 16th century roof in the east wing, and the quality and completeness of the 18th century interior make this an outstanding building. Other details: LBS 92325.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 110 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

Slow decay, no solution agreed. Rear medieval wing partly propped.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 116 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Serious maintenance issues. Roof in need of renewal, rear medieval wing partly propped. Main house weathertight and maintenance gradually being addressed. Poor condition. Category C (Slow decay; no solution agreed).

Clark, J. + Richardson, D., 2013, Kelly House (Un-published). SDV357822.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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