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Summary

Mid 19th century Jacobean style country house, incorporating 16th and 17th century detail. Built on the site of an earlier house.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1107730: HALL HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS52NE/11/2
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 98515

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1846 AD (Between) to 1849 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Hall on the remains of Hall' marked.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SS52NE5 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV336343.

The present house which occupies the site of the old mansion was built in 1846-9. It has no visible trace of antiquity; the pre 1846 building was completely demolished including in the cellars.

Department of Environment, 1986, Bishops Tawton, 25 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV80521.

Country house circa 1846-1850 by Philip Hardwick and rear range by R. D. Gould. Ashlar stonework and dressings. Slate roofs with coped gable ends, ball finial to right end. Chimneystacks with groups of tall octagonal shafts with moulded caps. Plain moulded cornice and continuous drip mould above ground and first floor windows. Irregular double pile plan with principal rooms flanking wide entrance hall. Banqueting hall adjoins at right angles at left end, extending back into rear left side range from which a twin gabled section extends to rear right side, parallel and adjoining to main range. Jacobean style. Two storeys and attic storey. The main range: two storeys and attic, 1:3:1 bays, right and left projecting rectangular two storey and attic bays with attic windows in shaped Flemish gables with ball finials. Smaller central attic gable with obelisk finial. Large central tetra style Doric Renaissance portico with ball finials above each column. Semi circular headed entrances to centre and to each side, that to centre flanked by round-arched openings. Round-arched sidelights with fluted keystones to each side of doorway with fanlight and door with lozenge panels. Three-light window above flanked by single light windows and three-light attic window above that. In flanking bays. Five-light windows to ground and first storeys and three-light attic windows. All stone mullion windows and except for attic all with transoms. To left-gabled slightly recessed single bay, linking main range to banqueting hall which forms projecting gabled cross-wing to far left with apex gablet, corbel table and bell turret with pyramidal roof and finial, shouldered-arched openings to front and rear. Impressive four-light pointed arched window to gable end with decorated geometric tracery. Hood mould with human head corbels and blind quatrefoil stone inset above, and flanking buttresses. Three two-light windows to right side with trefoil, quatrefoil and cinquefoil traceried heads in sequence from left to right, each with different hoodmould and a buttress to its left with offsets. Two-light casement below left side window. Length of walling extending from left side incorporates 17th century doorway with eared architrave and basket arch with cherubs heads above flanking chichester family crest. Two-light perpendicular style windows between massive lateral stack with offsets and stair turret with segmental pointed arched cellar doorway in the base to left side of banqueting hall. Variously dated decorated lead rainwater heads. Interior: details appear largely intact including plaster ceilings to principal rooms, large dog-leg staircase with thick turned balusters and stairlight window with stained glass by Pole Brothers. Reused early 16th century bench ends in panelling to rear right side entrance hall. Banqueting hall has five arch-braced trusses, minstrels gallery, massive open fireplace and painted Royal Arms said to come from Shirwell Church. Other details: LBS 98515.

English Heritage, 2006, Buildings at Risk: The Register 2006, 69 (Report - non-specific). SDV336311.

Hall House in Bishops Tawton was undergoing slow decay in 2006 with no solution agreed.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 103 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Built circa 1846-50 by Philip Hardwick, with a rear range by R. D. Gould. The house lies within an estate containing several other listed structures within the vicinity. The main range is generally fair, but the rear range is in very poor condition. Other details: Photograph.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 96 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 91 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

The main range is generally fair, but the rear range is in very poor condition, though roof is now weathertight. Priority C (slow decay, no solution agreed).

Cramp, C., 2015, North Devon Relief-Decorated Ceramics in the Household, 202, 209 (Article in Monograph). SDV365391.

North Devon relief-decorated tiles were used at Hall, indicating their acceptance in buildings of high social level.
Among the items auctioned in 1996 were four relief tiles: three of design N6 (a fleur-de-lis dated 1661 and initialled WA_ and a single tile with N3 (a large plain fleur-de-lis). They may have been set in a fireplace within the house. “Tiles in the possession of Mr Hamlyn Chichester which bear the date 1661” were described in 1906. One in the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon dated 1661 and with the initials WA was donated by Charles Chichester, a late 20th century owner of the house.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Marked as Hall and Remains of Hall.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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