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Summary

Shell house, circa late 18th century, built of rustic quartz and sandstone with slate rubble and with limestone dressings. The shell-house is lined in sea shells, blue-and-white china and glass.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1108054: SHELL HOUSE ABOUT 75 METRES NORTH, NORTH EAST OF OLDSTONE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SW/7/3
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 99800

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SHELL HOUSE (XVIII - 1701 AD to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

PATTISON, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV151316.

Shell grottoprobably late 18c, but with later additions. Earthen mound revetted by a stone wall and with a recessed archway and flanking walls on se side. Contains vaulted chamber decorated with sea-shells and broken china + glass. Now abuts against modern farm buildings (pattison).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV153815.

Pattison, p. /50(1992)131/oldstone:a mansion and its gardens in south devon: a survey by the royal commission on the historical monuments of england.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV153816.

Doe/hhr:blackawton/(1991)8.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV153817.

Des=dimes, u. /oldstone: the story of a ruined mansion/dhrg 9/(1993)14-15/in smr.

DIMES, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV172820.

Shell house at oldstone had been fine specimen. Has arched roof covered in shells with shell encrusted alcoves and shells arranged in wreaths, garlands and bows. Most of shells taken by souvenir hunters (dimes).

Department of Environment, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV335546.

Shell house c.75m nne of oldstone. Shell house. Circa late c18. Built of rustic quartz and sandstone with slate rubble and with limestone dressings. The shell-house is lined in sea shells, blue-and-white china and glass. Plan: square chamber with flanking quadrant walls with an arch at either end. Exterior: the central shell-house has a large re-used medieval moulded 2-centred arch of limestone with multiple mouldings and cusped panels to the intrados. The outer arch is rusticated. The flanking quadrant walls are made of massive quartz boulders and return at either end with a chamfered 2-centre arch, the outer voussoirs rusticated. The left hand arch head has collapsed. Interior: the shell-house has a barrel-vaulted roof and the walls are rusticated and the whole is lined in sea-shells, blue-and-white china and glass in decorative patterns. The back wall and end wall each have a central alcove, in the end wall there are 2 round niches above. The arch at the front of the shell-house right had come from torr abbey (doe).

Keep, C., 2013, Oldstone (Un-published). SDV357994.

The 18th century shell house/grotto at the opposite end of the bowling green was described in detail by Mr. C. W. Dimes in the early 20th century.

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

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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