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Summary

A building with a complex history. It appears to have been originally constructed in the 14th century as an animal house but was adapted to semi-domestic use in the 15th century, possibly as accommodation for lay brothers or as a guest house. It was considerably altered with the insertion of windows, floors and fireplaces during the time of Richard Greville in the 16th-17th century but later in the 17th century it was relegated to agricultural use again. Now a shop and restaurant.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1318245: THE INFIRMARY
• Scheduled Monument 1018366: Buckland Abbey

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 900580
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46NE/501/16
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 92639
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX46NE32
• Tide Project: 10/07/2020

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• GUEST HOUSE (Built, XIV to XVII - 1301 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

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

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

The 'Guest House' is one of two substantially complete buildings surviving from the desmesne farm, the other being the Tithe Barn. Now known as the Guest House, the building was described by Copeland as the Infirmary. It is a two storey building oriented east-west and has a complex building history. It may have been constructed as an animal house, adapted in the 15th century to semi-domestic use and then substantially altered by the insertion of fireplaces, windows and floors in Richard Greville's time. By the 18th century the building had reverted to farm use.

Department of Environment, 1987, Buckland Monachorum, 45 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV240503.

Outbuilding, reputedly originally the infirmary to Buckland Abbey but its distance from the abbey building makes this unlikely; from its position the other side of the Tithe Barn it is possible that it originally provided accommodation for the lay brothers or was the guest-house. Probably later 15th century on the evidence of the roof trusses and earlier doorways and windows but considerably altered during the 16th and 17th century if all the features are original to the building, the possibility of some of the features having been re-used makes specific dating difficult. Probably during the 17th century the building was relegated to agricultural purposes for which it is still used. Stone rubble walls with granite dressings; gable ended slate roof. Two rubble stacks, one axial to the right and are at left gable end. Ground floor plan now two long rooms divided by chimney stack; original plan unclear probably much altered by change of use. The lack of smoke-blackening on the roof timbers suggests that the chimney stacks are original and it is likely that the building was always two storeys although no trace of the original stairs can be seen. The granite framed window slits suggest use as a barn but the quality of the Medieval windows and some of the doorways make it unlikely to have been converted from a barn into a dwelling. The exact development of the plan and use of this building is, however, difficult to assess as it incorporates features from a number of different periods some of which may have originated in abbey buildings now demolished. The small rooms at either end are clearly additions, each with external access, whose purpose is unclear. The left-hand one is early 16th century, the right-hand one 17th century. Later 20th century addition at rear of left-hand side. Two storeys. Asymmetrical 10 bay, 6 window, front, divided irregularly by ashlar buttresses with set-offs. The long facade incorporates an extraordinary array of pre-18th century windows of different styles. The earliest is a 15th century 2-light granite mullion with cinquefoiled heads in the left-hand bay on the ground floor. The other windows are mainly 2-light granite mullions with square heads or granite framed slits apart from a few later insertions. There are also some re-used doorways on the 1st floor. There are three ground floor granite arched doorways. The left-hand one is the earliest - probably contemporary with the 15th century window and richly moulded with pointed arch. To the left of centre is a wide 4-centred arched doorway and to right of centre is a similar narrower doorway. Each of the end extensions has a similar doorway and mullion windows. At the rear a 20th century lean-to has been added against the right-hand side. To its left on the 1st floor is a blocked 4-centred arched granite doorway. Beyond it on the ground floor is a 16th century moulded 3-light granite mullion window whose hoodmould carries the arms of grenville and his wife in the labels. Two more granite framed windows to the left. Interior: the original roof trusses survive and consist of upper crucks with trenched purlins and mortised cranked collars, all clean. They have had tie-beams and struts inserted probably in the early 20th century. In the middle of the building is an axial stack which has been cut off at the top and has chamfered and stopped granite jambs to a fireplace on the ground floor with a replaced lintel. The fireplace at the right-hand end of the principal room has a segmental stone arch with chamfered voussoirs, now partially blocked. A longitudinal beam at this end is chamfered with ogee stops.

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

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

Farm building 20 metres east of the Tithe Barn at Buckland Abbey. In 1987 a programme of restoration of the guesthouse was undertaken which included excavations of the interior and recording the standing structure.

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

20 metres to the east of the barn at Buckland Abbey stands a farm building (guesthouse), a complete, free-standing rectangular structure of early 14th century date, with many later modifications, measuring 33.4 metres by 7.4 metres overall. The building is two storeyed and slopes downwards markedly from east to west. The ground level on its south side has been raised so that access on that side is now at first floor level. Excavations and an analysis of the standing structure in 1987 revealed that the building was intended for storage and housing animals, with an upper floor only at each end and the central bays open to the roof. In the mid-15th century the west end of the building was converted into accommodation through the addition of an internal dividing wall, a fireplace and larger windows. The building and the ground beneath it, which has been totally excavated, are excluded from the scheduling. Other details: Monument 24846.

Nicholas Pearson Associates, 2001, Buckland Abbey: Historic Survey and Restoration Plan, App. 2. 20 (Report - Survey). SDV241983.

Photograph in the survey shows blocked windows to north-west and south-west elevations.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 2001, SX46NE32 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV346353.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 900580 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV346354.

The guesthouse to Buckland Abbey, which stands some 20 metres east of the Tithe Barn. The building is a free-standing rectangular structure of early 14th century date, with many later modifications, measuring 33.4 metres by 7.4 metres. The building is two storeyed and slopes downwards markedly from east to west. The ground level on its south side has been raised so that access on that side is now at first floor level. Excavations and an analysis of the standing structure in 1987 revealed that the building was intended for storage and housing animals, with an upper floor only at each end and the central bays open to the roof. In the mid-15th century the west end of the building was converted into accommodation through the addition of an internal dividing wall, a fireplace and larger windows. During the 17th century the building was again relegated to agricultural purposes for which it is still used. It is constructed from stone rubble with granite dressings under a gable ended slate roof. An addition was added to the rear in the late 20th century.

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

'The Infirmary' at Buckland Abbey was Listed on 26th January 1987. Other details: LBS Number 92639.

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

Bullen, A., 2018, A souvenir guide. Buckland Abbey, Devon, 42 (Monograph). SDV363761.

An early 14th century building thought to have originally been a row of stables with a hayloft over which was converted to a guesthouse by Sir Richard Grenville. It is now a shop and restaurant.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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