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Summary

Inn, originally church house. Early 16th century, with 18th century extensions altered in 19th century. Rendered stone rubble walls exposed at rear. Gable ended slate roof. Three stone rubble stacks, one at each gable end and a lateral stack at the front.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1105441: ROYAL OAK INN

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NW/16/2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHURCH HOUSE (XVI - 1501 AD to 1550 AD)
• INN (XVIII to XIX - 1751 AD to 1880 AD)

Full description

Copeland, G. W., 1960, Devonshire Church-Houses: Part 1, 128-129 (Article in Serial). SDV298102.

Royal Oak Inn. Interesting old inn on the village green but abutting into the churchyard. A long house with colourwashed stuccoed walls, probably of granite, with an old rather high pitched roof of grouted slates, at each end of which is a short old chimney stack. At about the centre of the front rise is a more prominent loftier stack with a conical cap, laterally from the wall head. Windows 18th century wooden framed replacements in front, but at rear is an upper rectangular granite mullioned window of two elliptical headed lights overlooking the churchyard. On this side is a semi-hexagonal projection for a circular staircase. At each end of the house is an annexe, that east apparently coeval, but that west, which was a pigs house, with the granite chute of the feeding trough still in position, is divided from the main building by a modern private garage. The rooms mostly retain their old oak ceiling beams; and there is a large open fireplace with a rough granite jamb and an inner seat to the left and a later jamb and another seat to the right. Also an oven opening with a pointed head and a shelf. This fireplace appears to be a restoration against a prominent projection not unlike a buttress.

Copeland, G. W., 1963, Devonshire Church Houses: Part 4, Plate 10 (Article in Serial). SDV7678.

Department of Environment, 1987, Meavy, 87 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV252327.

Royal Oak Inn. Originally a church house. Early 16th century, with 18th century extensions, altered in 19th century. Rendered stone rubble walls exposed at rear. Gable ended slate roof. Three rubble stacks.
Originally two storey, three room plan probably with cross passage and not through passage as the ground level is higher at the rear. Two storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front. The right hand room has a very large inglenook fireplace with two stone ovens. Monolithic granite jamb to the left and chamfered wooden lintel with traces of hollow step stops. The left hand room has similar ceiling beams, although one is plain, with very recent joists. The stair has had the treads replaced but has a distinctive 'stepped' ceiling similar to the stairs in Walkhampton church house. Roof structural features. See List for full details.

Waterhouse, R. E., 1991, The Church Houses of South Devon: an archaeological survey, 73-74 (Report - Survey). SDV7736.

Royal Oak Inn. Stone fenestration. It fronts onto the village green, backing the churchyard on the south side. Long building, aligned east/west. Whitewashed and rendered on front and west end. Three chimneys; two on gable, one lateral on front. Protruding internal lateral stair on rear. First floor entry from churchyard at rear east end. Unusual door; hinges from base and lowers to ground to form drawbridge over gap between churchyard and rear wall. It is constructed in ironstone and granite rubble. Modern slates on potentially old roof structure. One two-light mullioned window of rhyolite and granite in rear wall on first floor. No fenestration in ground floor at rear. Samuel Prout etching of 1811 shows front of building derelict with a thatched roof and open pentice on front. Arched two-light stone mullioned windows appear on the first floor, with square diamond leaded window and arched door under the pentice. An external stone stair climbs the west end and has a small pent roof over it.

Quick, T., 1992, Dartmoor Inns, 105-6 (Monograph). SDV359976.

Uncertain when this inn was first built; may have been in the 15th century, but could be earlier. It is built of stone and cob and started out as a church house and was used as a resting place for monks travelling between the abbeys of Tavistock and Buckfast. Apparently named after the oak tree nearby, which is thought to have been planted in the reign of King John. The trunk has been hollow for years and was once used to store peat. The building is now owned by the parish council; one of only two in England that are so owned. It was purchased from the church in the early 19th century. The landlord is a tenant and pays rent to the council. There are two bars. The public bar, or local's bar, has a slate floor, open log fire and side seats. The spacious lounge bar, with its beamed ceiling and thick walls retains the charm of an old Dartmoor inn.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Public house is depicted on the modern mapping.

Historic England, 2017, National Heritage List for England, Accessed 24/01/2017 (National Heritage List for England). SDV359963.

MEAVY MEAVY SX 56 NW 4/102 Royal Oak Inn - GV II
Inn, originally church house. Early C16, with C18 extensions altered in C19. Rendered stone rubble walls exposed at rear. Gable ended slate roof. 3 stone rubble stacks, one at each gable end and a lateral stack at the front.
Originally 2 storey, 3 room plan probably with cross passage and not through passage as the ground level is higher at the rear. As a church house the normal room functions would not necessarily apply but each of these rooms appears originally to have been heated unless the lateral stack served a 1st floor fireplace of which there is now no sign. An original straight run staircase was placed in a projection at the rear of the central room. In the C18 a single storey outbuilding was added at the right-hand end. In circa early C19 an entrance door was inserted directly beneath the front lateral stack. Later in the C19 an outshut was added at the left and right-hand ends. Probably in the C20 the 2 left-hand rooms were knocked into one.
2 storeys. Asymmetrical 4 window front. At the left on the first floor is an early C19 casement of 1 light with small panes. The 2 central 1st floor windows are early C19 16 pane hornless sashes with a C20 facsimile to their right. On the ground floor to the left is a C20 French window. To its right are 2 C20 2-light casements with small panes, the left-hand one is in a slightly arched opening. Right of centre is an early C19 6-panel door under a probably contemporary gabled doorhood supported on carved brackets. To its right is a C20 16 pane sash window. Single storey C18 outbuilding attached at the right-hand with a C19 lean-to beyond it and another at the left gable end. At the rear is a rectangular stair projection to right of centre. To its left on the 1st floor is an original 2-light granite mullion window with segmental heads to the lights. A photograph of the front of the house when the plaster was removed a few years ago reveals similar blocked 2-light mullion window towards the left end. It also shows that the ground floor window in the slightly arched opening is in fact occupying a stone arched doorway, presumably the original entrance.
Interior: The right-hand room has a very large inglenook fireplace with 2 stone ovens. Monolithic granite jamb to the left and chamfered wooden lintel with traces of hollow step stops. There are 3 chamfered cross beams to the ceiling with hollow step stops. The left-hand room has similar ceiling beams, although one is plain, with very recent joists. The stair has had the treads replaced but has a distinctive 'stepped' ceiling similar to the stairs in the Church House at Walkhampton. In the 1st right-hand extension the roof trusses are fairly substantial and pegged at the apex, with lapped and pegged collars. Roof space over the main building not inspected and the structure may be of interest. Source: G W Copeland - Devonshire Church Houses: T.D.A. XCIII, p.128
Listing NGR: SX5407667206

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV2973 - The Church Houses of South Devon: an archaeological survey

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