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Summary

Small country house in use as farmhouse, circa 1830 with some late 19th century alterations, but probably incorporating parts of an earlier house in the service block.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1147229: WOOD

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87SE/176
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 85680

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COUNTRY HOUSE (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV292349.

Doe/hhr:newton abbot rd/(-/6/1952)15.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV292350.

Des=worksheet + photo(dudley, e. )/in parish file.

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Report - Survey). SDV327587.

Wood. Late 18th century with some remodelling. There has been a house on the site since 16th century or earlier. Two storeys. Stucco with slate roof and eaves brackets. Doric porch with four columns. Interesting 18th century staircase, dining room with dado and moulded plaster panels above and two heavy doric columns at n end. Original library remains with two contemporary bookcases.(doe). Vis=-/-/1981 (dudley). Double pile building. Regency portico and main staircase ?18th century. Applecrushing granite trough. Documentation on worksheet.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

English Heritage, 2015, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV357602.

Small country house in use as farmhouse. Circa 1830 with some late C19 alterations but probably incorporating parts of an earlier house in the service block. Architect unknown to date, building designed for the Comyns family who lived at Wood from 1732 to 1957. Colourwashed rendered stone ; slate roof to main range, gabled at ends with sprocketted eaves to the front, 2 span slate roof, half-hipped at the left end to the kitchen block ; end stacks with brick shafts to the main range, front lateral stack to service block. Greek Revival. Plan: An east-facing double depth main range, slightly irregular at the north west corner, with 2 principal rooms to the front, one on either side of an entrance hall containing the stair ; parlour to the left, dining room to the right. An axial service passage to the rear of the principal rooms links the service block to the principal front rooms and to the library, behind the parlour. The service block is probably a remodelling of part of the pre 1830s house and contains kitchen, pantries and a service stair ; lean-to scullery adjoins the kitchen block on the east front. The house is attached to a small block or pavilion at the rear right (north west), now in use as an outbuilding and a pre 1897 photograph in the possession of the owner shows a short crosswing at the right end of the main range, this no longer exists. The photograph also shows a parapet to the front elevation and documentation in the possession of the owner shows that the parapet was removed and extensive repairs were carried out in 1897. Exterior: main range 2 storeys, the service block with a lower ground level is 2 storeys and attic. Symmetrical 5 bay east front with a platband and a good stone Greek Doric portico with an entablature with triglyph frieze, 4 fluted columns to the front and pilasters to the rear. Half-glazed C19 front door with a rectangular fanlight, C19 12-pane timber sash windows. The service block is set back at the left (south) end with a lean-to on the front projecting slightly beyond the front elevation of the main range. The rear elevation, not quite symmetrical, has a fine 2 storey bow, slightly to left of centre, with 3 12-pane bowed sashes to the ground floor, 3 similar sashes above ; 12-pane sahes to left and right. At the right (south) end the rear of the service block has a blind round-headed recess and, at the left end, an adjoining block with a slate roof, hipped to the west, has a round- headed window with glazing bars (some slates missing at time of survey). The south elevation of the service block has 12- and 8-pane timber sash windows with one C20 replacement ; round-headed 2-pane sashes to attic storey. Tall stone rubble walling and the remains of outbuildings are attached to the kitchen block at the south. Interior: Good interior features of circa 1830 including plaster cornices, mahogany panelled doors, shutters and marble chimney-pieces. Principal stair dog-leg with stick balusters alternating with lyre-shaped cast iron panels, wreathed handrail. Slightly-coved plaster ceiling to the parlour with decorated plasterwork to the coving. The dining room has moulded plaster panels above a dado and 2 tall timber Greek Doric columns at the west end forming a 4-bay colonnade. The library, to the south-west, is lit by the bow window, decending almost to floor level : the "two contemporary bookcases" mentioned in the old list description were sold before 1957. Wood is said originally to have been one of the estates of the Bishops of Exeter. It was owned by the Comyns family, major landowners, from the early C18 until 1957. John Comyns, probably the patron of the rebuilding of the house, was squarson from 1801-1836 (Cleland).
W.D. Cleland (ed.), Bishopsteignton, South Devon, A Short History and Guide, (1930).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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