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Summary

Tower Cottage at Buckland Abbey incorporates part of the abbot's lodgings in the form of a three-storied tower of the 15th century.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1105454: TOWER AND ADJOINING OUTBUILDING APPROXIMATELY 40 METRES TO NORTH OF BUCKLAND ABBEY
• Scheduled Monument 1018366: Buckland Abbey

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 900593
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46NE/501/9
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 92643
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX46NE33
• Tide Project: 10/07/2020

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TOWER (Built, XIV to XV - 1400 AD to 1500 AD (Between))

Full description

Ministry of Works, 1950, Buckland Abbey (Schedule Document). SDV344043.

Visible Medieval remains at Buckland Abbey include a small 16th century gatehouse tower. Other details: Monument 246.

Copeland, G. W., 1953, Buckland Abbey: An Architectural Survey (Report - Survey). SDV242010.

Pye, A., 1985, Archive Report on the September 1984 Excavations at Buckland Abbey, West Devon (Report - non-specific). SDV242008.

Tower Cottage. Medieval in part. May represent part of building complex running at right angles off the north cloister. Medieval walls and drain observed during digging in yard between Tower Cottage and Cider House during the 1950's.

Gaskell-Brown, C., 1986 - 1987, Buckland Abbey, Devon, 3 (Report - Survey). SDV242027.

Tower Cottage is one of the few buildings remaining that represent the conventual buildings.

Department of Environment, 1987, Buckland Monachorum (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV240503.

15th century Tower, originally may have formed part of the abbots lodgings, with adjoining outbuilding to the south-east.

Cherry, B. + Pevsner, N., 1989, The Buildings of England: Devon, 229 (Monograph). SDV325629.

Gibbons, P., 1994, 134699 (Un-published). SDV241967.

To the east of the Cider House stands a modernised building incorporating part of the abott's lodgings in the form of a three-storied tower of 15th century date. This building is illustrated in an engraving dated 1734. The tower appears to have formed the north-east corner of a larger building. It has angled buttresses on its outer corners and another buttress on the north side. At second floor level the north and east faces are framed in unique decorative freizes that include small flowers. The tower has a pentagonal stair turret projecting from the south side and extending above the embattled roof to form a turret. The ground floor is set into the rising ground to the south-east. It has a blocked door on the north side, and internally, a blocked arch leading eastward into an underground space, of unknown extent. Access to the tower and stair is now gained from the stables adjoining the east side of the tower.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 1998, Buckland Abbey (Schedule Document). SDV344044.

Tower Cottage is within the Scheduled area of Buckland Abbey and although it is excluded from the scheduling the ground beneath it is included. The tower appears to have formed the north-east corner of a larger building. It has a pentagonal stair turret projecting from the south side and extending above the roof to form a turret.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1999, SX46NE33 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV346341.

Nicholas Pearson Associates, 2001, Buckland Abbey: Historic Survey and Restoration Plan, App. 3 (Report - Survey). SDV241983.

Allan, J., 2006, The Excavation of a Brewhouse at Buckland Abbey in 2005, 243-246 (Article in Serial). SDV344668.

The ealiest element of The Tower House is the three-storey tower projecting into the courtyard. Constructed of shale rubble wallling with Roborough elvan dressings, its Perpendicular details show it to be a surviving part of a high quality late medieval stucture, probably of late 15th or early 16th century date. A small window at the bottom of the tower, lighting an internal staircase, appears to be an original feature of the tower. The two light window above appears from a watercolour of 1798 to have been remodelled. The tower is entered from within at ground floor level. A spiral staircase leads downward to basement level where an archway formerly led to a cellar behind the cellar, now demolished. Above, the stair leads to rooms on the first and second floors and to the roof with a crenellated turret carried up over the stair. The 1798 drawing shows the crenellations and the stair turret to have been roofed over. It appears that in its initial form the Tower House comprised a cellar with a tall ground floor room above with two small rooms in the tower at the front. The stable forming the southern part of the Tower House range is of later date. Its front wall has been rebuilt but the roof is broadly of late 17th or 18th century date, probably contemporary with the masonry on the west and south sides. The range to the north of the tower takes the form of a two storeyed house and again it is later than the tower. The present front is no earlier than circa 1800. The 1798 drawing shows that it has undergone extensive change. The wing itself, however, is earlier as it is shown in records dating back to the 1730s. See article for more information. Other details: Photos and drawings.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 900593 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV346342.

Three storeyed 15th century tower, now incorporated into a mid 20th century dwelling, the remains of the abbot's lodgings to Buckland Abbey. The tower appears to have formed the north east corner of a larger building. It has angled buttresses on its outer corners and another buttress on the north side. At second floor level the north and east faces are framed in unique decorative friezes that include small flowers. A pentagonal stair turret projects from the south side and extends above the embattled roof to form a turret. The ground floor is set into the rising ground to the south east. There is a blocked door on the north side and, internally, a blocked arch leading eastward into an underground space.

English Heritage, 2011, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV346128.

Tower and adjoining outbuilding approximately 40 metres to the north of Buckland Abbey was Listed on 26th January 1987. The tower, originally may have formed part of the abbots lodgings, with adjoining outbuilding to north. Tower is 15th century, outbuilding probably 17th century. Stone rubble walls with granite ashlar dressings. Gable ended slate roof to outbuilding. The tower is quite small with one room on each of its three floors. The outbuilding to its right was built on probably in the 17th century and may always have been used as a stable. The tower is two storeys with basement, the outbuilding is single storey. At ground level the tower has a square-headed granite window opening with iron bars. On the principal floor above is a 2-light transomed granite mullion window with cinquefoil lights and recessed spandrels; the window is rebated in a granite frame with hollow chamfer. Relieving arch above. On the left-hand side of the tower at this level is a small blocked granite light with arched head. There is a moulded stringcourse between this floor and the next on which there is a single arched light both at the front and the left-hand side. On its top floor each side of the tower has a frieze of carved 11-petal flowers in a string course. The tower is battlemented and has diagonal ashlar buttresses at the front extending up to the 1st floor and a pentagonal stair turret against the right-hand side with granite framed slits. The outbuilding attached to the right has a segmental headed chamfered granite doorway immediately adjoining the tower with a granite mullion window to the right. An adjoining cottage was built to the left of the tower in the mid 20th century. Interior: The tower has stone newel stairs with ovolo moulded 2-centred arch doorway at bottom and chamfered ogee arch doorway to first floor chamber; in cellar under tower a wide chamfered 4-centred arch doorway to former cellar under main range. The main range has roof with lapped and pegged collars and principals crossed at apex; at the north end the roof has been rebuilt with tie-beam trusses; at the south end 19th century loose boxes. Other details: LBS Number 92643.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Bullen, A., 2018, A souvenir guide. Buckland Abbey, Devon, 9 (Monograph). SDV363761.

Tower Cottage is thought to have been the abbot's house.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4745 - Excavation of a brewhouse at Buckland Abbey

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