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Summary

Late 16th or early 17th century house, with later additions; the lower, left-hand end could be the remnant of an earlier house. Three-room and through-passage plan, the parlour end developed into a cross-wing with projection at the front; original two-storeyed entrance porch with lean-to additions at either side. The plan is unusual for Devon in that there is a double stack at the upper end, heating both hall and parlour, and at the lower end a stack of at least 17th century date backing on to the through-passage. The stable is separately listed. The house is reported to have old deeds going back to the purchase of the freehold by John Carnsley in 1378. Principal families owning it subsequently were the Nosworthys and the Wills. A share in Lustleigh Manor and grazing rights go with the property. Details of possible apotropaic marks and 17th/18th century leather shoes found in the roof in 2017 report.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1309089: CASELEY COURT

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX78SE31
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 898385
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX78SE/121
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 84587

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CROSS PASSAGE HOUSE (Constructed, XVI to XVII - 1550 AD to 1650 AD (Between))

Full description

Department of Environment, 1986, Lustleigh, 108-9 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV304543.

Caseley Court. Late 16th or early 17th century, with later additions; the lower, left-hand end could be the remnant of an earlier house.
Stone rubble covered with roughcast. Thatched roof, half-hipped to left. Two granite ashlar chimneystacks. 19th or 20th century rendered stack.
Three room and through passage plan, the parlour end developed into a cross wing with projection at the front; original two storeyed entrance porch with lean-to additions at either side. The plan is unusual for Devon. Two storeys. Stair-turret with canted sides at rear of hall and parlour stack. Gabled entrance porch. There was almost certainly a jetty at the front, since the sawn off joist ends are visible on top of the beam. There are no windows to left of the porch, although a blocked opening can just be discerned. Former hall has double-ovolo moulded upper floor beam with barn stops and a similar half-beam against the chimney-stack. At the lower end, against the through passage, is a plank and muntin screen, carved with a large fish, within which is the date 1771 and the initials SN, believed to be for Samuel Nosworthy. Staircase has stone rubble steps and a small slit window. The lower room has an 18th century moulded plaster cornice all round the edge of the ceiling and an early 18th century cupboard with shaped shelves. The roof timbers are exposed in all the upstairs rooms; none appear earlier than the late 16th century. Roof structural features.
The house is reported to have old deeds going back to the purchase of the freehold by John Carnsley in 1378. See List for full details.

Pigeon, J., 2017, Appendix to Statement of Significance for Caseley Court, Lustleigh (Report - Evaluation). SDV361161.

An additional dating building phase identified (Phase IV); indicating the ceiling of the hall prior to 1618. This report includes revised phased dating for the building. Additionally, includes discussion of possible apotropaic objects and marks noted during the work.
On one of the stones in the cross passage wall there are numerous initials, date and other incised marks; some of which probably relate to previous owners. There is also a 'W' mark, formed of two crossed 'V's possibly appeal to the 'virgo virginem' or Virgin of Virgins. On the drawing room fireplace was noted a group of seven burn marks, which may have been made deliberately as charms.
Three leather footwear objects were found hidden in the roof space; one shoe, one part of a shoe and a lower leg calliper. The concealment of footwear is a recognised apotropaic phenomenon and therefore are assumed to have been deliberately placed. These items appear to date to the 17th or 18th century.
Large scale plans on house and details included. See report for full details.

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

LUSTLEIGH SX 78 SE - 1/144 Casely Court - 23.8.55 GV II*
House. Late C16 or early C17, with later additions; the lower, left-hand end could be the remnant of an earlier house.
Stone rubble covered with roughcast. Thatched roof, half-hipped to left. 2 granite ashlar chimneystacks with tapered tops on ridge, the left-hand stack crenellated. C19 or C20 rendered stack on right wing.
Plan: 3-room and through-passage plan, the parlour end developed into a cross-wing with projection at the front; original 2-storeyed entrance porch with lean-to additions at either side. The plan is unusual for Devon in that there is a double stack at the upper end, heating both hall and parlour, and at the lower end a stack of at least C17 date backing on to the through-passage. Stair-turret with canted sides at rear of hall and parlour stack.
2 storeys. The entrance front, facing north-east, has few windows. In the centre is the gabled entrance-porch, the front of which seems to have been partly remodelled. The upper storey, which has close- studding (exposed internally) in left wall, is supported by a double-ovolo moulded beam; this is carried by 2 similarly moulded posts, set in from the ends of the beam as if the porch had originally been jettied at each side. There was almost certainly a jetty at the front, since the sawn-off joist-ends are visible on top of the beam. There are no windows to left of the porch, although a blocked opening can just be discerned. To right of the porch, concealed by a C20 lean-to, each storey has a 2-light ovolo-moulded mullioned window, the upper window having a diagonally-set bar in the centre of each light. The cross-wing at right-hand end, which has been cut back slightly, has a C20 lean-to ground storey and a 2-light wood casement window with 3 panes per light in the second storey. the rear wall, which has no projections apart from the original stair turret and a shallow C18 or C19 stair projection at the lower end, has wood casement windows with small panes either leaded or in wooden glazing bars. Flanking the back door of through-passage are 2 wooden columns, probably C17, with moulded caps and bases; they may have belonged to a former porch.
Interior: former hall has double-ovolo moulded upper-floor beam with bar-stops and a similar half-beam against the chimneystack. Scratch-moulded joists both sides. At the lower end, against the through-passage, is a plank and muntin screen, the carved with a large fish, within which is the date 1771 and the initials SN, believed to be for Samuel Nosworthy. The door-head in the screen has been cut off, but there is a plank door on strap-hinges. Wooden door-frame to stair turret has cranked head. Doorway to former parlour has square-headed wooden frame with scroll-stops and a plank door. Large fireplace with jambs made of large pieces of granite; double-ovolo moulded wood lintel with run-out stops. Large oven with stone-framed opening having a curved head; shallow granite shelf in front. Interior of oven has brick dome but sides are of large pieces of granite. Former parlour, now sub-divided has a chamfered beam with run-out stops. Staircase has stone rubble steps and a small slit window. The through-passage has plain joists above it. On the lower side there is a dado of C18 raised-and-fielded ovolo- moulded panelling. This backs on to the rear of the lower-room stack, which, to judge from a small exposed piece carved with the initials TW, is probably of granite ashlar; it has a large, hollow-moulded cornice at the top. A C18 panelled door leads into the lower room, which has a C18 moulded plaster cornice all round the edge of the ceiling. In the corner next to the fireplace is an early C18 cupboard with shaped shelves; it has upper and lower doors with ovolo-moulded raised-and-fielded panels, the panel of the lower door ogee-headed. The fireplace is C17 or earlier, with splayed granite jambs; the wooden lintel is chamfered with straight-cut stops. In second storey the room over the hall has a fireplace with splayed granite jambs and granite hearth; ovolo-moulded wood lintel with raised run-out stops. At either side of the stack, leading to the staircase and room over the parlour, are doorways with chamfered, square-headed wood frames having rounded step-stops; a matching doorway leads from the staircase to the room over the parlour. In the room over the lower end is a fireplace with bolection-moulded wood architrave and moulded cornice of circa 1700. The same room has an early C18 wall- cupboard with panelled door.
Roof: The roof timbers are exposed in all the unpstairs rooms; none appear to be earlier than the late C16, although Mr Dick Wills of Narracombe, Ilsington, says there was smoke-blackened thatch before restoration in circa 1970. The roof over the lower end has no trusses, the purlins spanning from gable wall to stack. Over the hall is a truss with plain feet, the collar halved and with shaped ends. It is not clear whether the truss has through or threaded purlins or whether it has a ridge.
The stable, which makes a good group with the house, is separately listed. The house is reported to have old deeds going back to the purchase of the freehold by John Carnsley in 1378. Principal families owning it subsequently were the Nosworthys and the Wills. A share in Lustleigh Manor and grazing rights go with the property.
Source: information from the present owner, based on deeds in the Devon Record office.
Listing NGR: SX7858282118

Pigeon, J., 2017, Statement of Significance for Caseley Court, Lustleigh (Report - Evaluation). SDV360250.

Earliest phase (12th – 14th century) of the house appears to be a two room cross-passage plan house; a simple, basically rectangular structure with tapered upper north-west (hall) end. The lower south-eastern end was the hall, with central cross-passage.
In the second phase (1378-1400), a small cross-wing was added to the north-western end, forming a two-storey chamber block. Although fairly common elsewhere, this is unusual on Dartmoor and is usually associated with a manorial or sub-manorial court status.
In the third phase (16th century?) of alterations, the lower room was ceiled and the cross-passage was given a granite partition (previously oak screen?) with a corbel table.
During phase 4 (early 17th century), the open hall was ceiled with decoratively moulded timbers and a fireplace with bread oven and stair turret inserted between the hall and upper room. Additionally, a two-storey porch was added in this phase to the north-eastern entrance to the cross-passage, which although not unusual in itself, was a timber-framed construction (usually found in an urban context).
Phase 5 (? c.1790) sees the rooms below the cross-passage redeveloped, a new staircase replacing that built in the third phase. A large rectangular two-storey extension added to the north-east gable of the house (later demolished). Other, more minor alterations detailed in phases 6-10 (1790-late 20th century).
Recommendation to improve on poor late 20th century alterations, especially inappropriate internal finishes. New wing to be built at the north-western end of the house. Large scale plans on house and details included.
See report for full details.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

Caseley Court is depicted on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6798 - SHOE (XVI to XVIII - 1600 AD to 1799 AD?)

Associated Events: none recorded

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